I 


s 


y 


)  \' 


Staiut-  of  Daibi4tzu,  or  Great  Buddha. 


IN  THE  TRACK  OF  THE  SUN 


READINGS  FROM   THE  DIARY  OF 
A   GLOBE   TROTTER 


BY 


FREDERICK    DlODATl   THOMPSON 


WITH   MANY   ILLUSTRATIONS  BY   MR.   HARRY   FENN   AND   FROM   PHOTOGRAPHS 


NEW     YORK 
D.    APPLETON     AND    COMPANY 

l8qq 


Copyright,  1893, 
Bv  D.   APPLETON   AND   COMPANY. 


Electrotvped  and  Printed 

AT  THE   ApI'LETON    PrESS,  U.S.A. 


TO 

HIS    IMPERIAL    MAJESTY    THE    SULTAN 

ABDUL-HAMIl)    II 

THIS    VOLUME 

IS    MOST     RESPECTFULLY     DEDICATED 

;'.Y 

THE    AUTHOR 


The  Itnambara  at  Luc  know. 


CONT  ENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

PAGE 

New  York  to  Tacoma i 

chapter  ii. 
Victoria  to  Yokohama 12 

chapter  iii. 
In  Japan 36 

CHAPTER    IV. 

Farewell  to  Japan 52 

CHAPTER    V. 

Visit  to  China 65 

CHAPTER    \\. 

Through  the  Straits  to  Ceylon 84 

chapter  vh. 
In  Hindostan 105 


vi  CONTE.VTS. 

CHAPTER    VIII. 

PAGE 

Up  the  Ganges 117 

chapter  ix. 
Agra  and  Delhi 134 

chapter  x. 
In  Western  India  and  Egypt 152 

chapter  xi. 
On  the  Nile •     .        .        .        •     171 

chapter  xii. 
Visit  to  Palestine 186 

chapter  xiii. 
Home  through  Europe 206 

chapter  xiv. 
Familiar  Places  Revisited 217 


LIST   OF   FULL-PAGE    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


FACING 

PAGE 


Statue  of  Daibutzu,   or  Great  Buddha  .........  Fronti^fiece 

An  Indian  camp    .................  5 

British  war-ships  at   Esquimalt,   near  Victoria,    li.   C.            .........  15 

Japanese  wrestlers           ................  27 

Pagoda  at  Ueno    ....                  ............  33 

Garden  at  Xiliko  .................  3^ 

The  sacred  bridge  at  Xikko         ..............  41 

Koro  at  Nikko 44 

The  cave  at  Enoshima          ...............  48 

A  view  of  Fusiyama     ...............  51 

The  principal  street  in  Ozaki  after  the  great   earthquake 53 

A  Japanese  vender  of  vegetables 56 

Taine  deer  at  Nara      ................  59 

A  Joss-house,   Hong-Kong 65 

Foreign  buildings  on  Sha-Mien   Island,  Canton 69 

The  five-story  pagoda,  Canton 71 

The  race-course   in  Happy  Valley,   Hong-Kong           ..........  72 

Chinese  criminals  awaiting  death          .............  75 

After  the  execution 76 

Public  garden,   Hong-Kong  ...............  "9 

Private  residence  and  grounds,    Hong-Kong         ...........  81 

Queen's  Road  Central,   Hong-Kong     .............  82 

-A  Ceylon  elephant         ................  85 

The  Sultan  of  Johore's  palace,  near   Singapore    ...........  87 

.\  nutmeg  plantation,   Penang        ..............  89 

Temple  at    Penang          .          ...............  90 

Native  fishing-boats,  Colombo       ..............  93 

A  street  in  Colombo 95 

Cabbage  palms,  Ceylon           ...............  97 

Mustering  of  coolies  on   a  tea  estate,   Ceylon       ...........  98 

Double  bullock-carts,   Colombo     ..............  100 

Entrance  to  gardens   at   Peradeniya,  near  Colombo      ..........  102 

The   Hall  of  Horses,   Seringham 109 

Jain  idols  conveyed  in  a  bullock  cart H3 

A  snake-charmer 115 

Drawing  toddy  in  Bengal 118 


LIST  OF  FULL-PAGE  ILLUSTRATIO.\S. 


FACING 
I'AC.E 

A  Nepaulese   Kamee  an<i  attendants     .............  121 

The  highest  mountain  in  the  world,   viewed  from  Darjeeling    ........  122 

Method  of  burning  the  dead  on  the  banks  of  the  Ganges  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .125 

The  place  containing  an  impression  of  Vishnu's  feet  in  stone,  at   Benares        .         .         .         .         .127 

General  view  of  Lucknow  from  the  clock-tower  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         ■         .         .128 

The  residency,   I.ucknow       ......                  .'......  131 

Scene  of  the   attempted  escape  from  the  massacre,   1857     .........  136 

The  Taj   Mahal,  Agra  ................  140 

The  I'earl   Mosque  in  fort,   Delhi          .............  145 

Sun-procession  day,  Jeypore           ..............  148 

Colonel  Elphinstone  and   the  author  on  the  Maharajah's  elephant      .......  154 

Entrance  to  the  Caves  of  Elephanta    .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .158 

The  railway  station,   Bombay        ..............  160 

A  Bedouin  sheik  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Ghaza  ..........  164 

The  base  of  the   Great  Pyramid   ..............  167 

The  Sphinx    ..................  168 

A  Soudanese  warrior     ................  172 

A  Turkish  and  an   Egyptian  woman 175 

The  Sphinx  at   Karnak           ...............  176 

A  bride  going  to  her  husband,  Egypt          ............  179 

Tombs  of  the  kings,   Thebes  .  .  .         .         .  .         .  .  .         .         .  .  .  .181 

The  Great   Temple  at  Karnak 183 

Obelisks  at  Karnak 184 

Colossal  statues  of  Memnon,  Thebes 187 

A  Mohammedan  sheik 188 

The  Garden  of  Gethsemane '9° 

The  stone  of  unction,   Jerusalem 192 

Interior  of  the  tomb  of  the  Virgin,  Jerusalem 194 

The  rock  in  the  Mosque  of  Omar I97 

A  scene  on  the  river  Jordan 19S 

The  Mount  of  Olives 200 

The  Grotto  of  the  Nativity  at  Bethlehem,  showing  the  manger 202 

View  of  Jaffa  from  the  house  of  Simon  the  Tanner 204 

Interior  of  a  Jewish  house  at  Damascus 206 

Mohammedans  at  prayer  in  the  Great  Mosque  at  Damascus 209 

General  view  of  the  Principality  of  Monaco 213 

General  view  of  Naples 215 

General  view  of  Sorrento 216 

House  of  Pansa,  Pompeii 219 

The  Bourse,  Paris          .......•••••■■■■  220 

Interior  of  St.   Peter's,  Rome 222 

Houses  of  Parliament,  London 225 

WITH    HEADPIECES,    INITIALS,    AND    NUMEROUS    OTHER    ILLUSTRATIONS 

IN    THE    TEXT. 


Leaving  New  York. 


IN    THE   TRACK   OF   THE    SUN. 


CHAPTER    I. 


NEW    YORK    TO    TACOMA. 

T  was  Wednesday,  October  14,  1S91 — a  perfect  Ameri- 
can autumn  day — when  I  boarded  the  Pennsyl- 
vania limited  express  for  Chicago.  The  record  of 
a  night  trip  in  a  Pullman  car  is  not  at  this  date 
wonderful,  but  it  is  none  the  less  verv  satisfactory. 
Our  sleeping-cars  are  the  perfection  of  comfort,  and 
the  serving  of  meals  in  a  dining-car  is  a  boon,  espe- 
cially as  the  meals 
themselves    are    excel- 


lent, and  at  moderate  cost.  I  had  deter- 
mined that  during  my  travels  I  would  ex- 
amine critically  the  railway  systems  of  the 
countries  through  which  I  passed,  and  note 
my  impressions.  I  had  several  hours  in 
Chicago,  and  amused  myself  by  taking  a 
hansom  cab  and  looking  at  the  city.  One 
is  ready  to  acknowledge  that  Chicago  is  a 
wonderful   place,   when    he    considers    that 


'^',- 


i^^-¥!iii^tf 


The   Union   Club  Hinise,  A'eio    Yoyk. 


/X    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


but  sixty  years  ago  it  was  a  miasmatic  marsh,  with  a  few  log  cal)ins  for 
trappers,  on  what  was  then  called  by  the  pungent  name  of  Skunk 
Creek.  Time  has  changed  all  that  ;  and  the  change,  though  not  so 
swift  as  the  raising  of  Aladdin's  tower,  has  its  own  wonders.  In  one 
respect  at  least  it  is  well  that  the  Columbian  Exposition  is  to  be  held 

there,  for  such 
a    fact    as    the 


growth 


and 


Indtpiiuuiice  Hal!,  Philaddphia. 


present  status 
of  Chicago  can- 
not fail  to  im- 
press foreign- 
ers with  a  sense 
of  that  stu- 
pendous impe- 
tus which  char- 
acterizes the 
New  World, 
and  compels 
the  wonder  of 
those  who  see 
its  results. 

After  din- 
ner at  the 
Richelieu  Ho- 
tel I  returned 
to  the  railway 
station  and  had 


S3 


i 


my  luggage  checked  to  Portland,  Oregon,  a  distance  of  over  twenty- 
three  hundred  miles.  When  I  awoke,  at  about  eight  o'clock  the  next 
morning,  after  another  night  of  comfort,  I  was  crossing  the  State  of 
Iowa,  through  a  magnificent  farming  country  that  everywhere  showed 
signs  of  abundant  production  and  prosperity. 


OVER    THE  KOCKIES. 


At  Council  Bluffs,  shunting  our  sleeper  to  the  Union  Pacific  train, 
we  crossed  the  Missouri,  and  from  Omaha  continued  on  our  way 
over  lands  still  fertile  and  well  cultivated.  Twenty-four  hours  later  we 
reached  Sherman,  the  highest  point  on  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  eighty- 
two  hundred  and  forty-seven  feet  above  the  sea.  The  Rockies  in  the 
distance  were  covered  with  snow,  and  the  rarefaction  of  the  air  was  very 
perceptible.     The  character  of  the  country  had  entirely  changed.     Signs 


Fnir  Arts   J!!!!/iiiu_;\   Cohtujbian   Exposition. 

of  cultivation  had  vanished ;  small  shanties  dotted  the  ground  at  long 
intervals ;  herds  of  cattle,  a  few  horses,  and  occasionally  a  coyote,  were 
the  only  living  things  to  be  seen.  Soon,  however,  we  reached  the  thriv^- 
ing  city  of  Laramie,  the  "  Gem  City,"  as  some  call  it,  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  ;  and  here  I  bought  the  Daily  Boomerang,  a  typical  Western 
newspaper,  with  all  the  latest  news  of  the  region,  Laramie  being  the 
distributing  centre  of  a  large  mining  and  ranching  district. 

The  land  looked  more   barren  as  we  proceeded  ;    but,  though  crops 


IX    THE    TRACK'  OF    THE  SUN. 


and  tillage  were  lacking,  there  was  excellent  coal.  At  8  r.  m.  we  arrived 
at  Green  River  Junction,  parted  with  the  San  Francisco  section  of  our 
train,  and  proceeded  over  the  Oregon  Short  Line. 

On  Sundav  morning  wc  pulled  up  at  Shoshone.  Three  Chinamen 
and  a  little  Chinese  woman  got  aboard,  and  an  Indian  and  his  scjuaw, 
the  first  Indians  we  met.  On  my  former  journeys  there  were  many  at 
the  different  stations,  and  numliers  of  them  were  constantly  found  tak- 


nLi*^---r''.-.'*-'^f-'' 


Coiuhovs  on   the  Plains. 


ing  free  rides  on  the  platforms  of  the  cars,  as  they  are  permitted  to  do 
bv  law. 

Twenty-five  miles  from  the  railroad  are  the  Shoshone  Falls,  which 
are  reached  by  the  universal  Western  institution  the  stage-coach,  or  by 
the  pleasanter  mode  of  private  conveyance,  which  can  be  had  easily.  A 
good  team  traverses  the  distance  In  three  and  a  half  hours.  The  falls 
are  not  seen  until  the  traveller  is  close  upon  them,  although  a  few  lava 
mounds  are  the  only  objects  that  break  the  long  stretch  of  desert.  As 
the  carriage  wheels  sharply  round  one  of  these,  a  canon  twelve  hundred 
feet  deep  opens  suddenly,  and  we  see  Snake  River,  which  is  reached  by 
winding  down  a  steep  roadway.      From  a  cozy  and  comfortable  hotel 


■s. 


SHOSHOXE  FALLS. 


5 


a  view  of  the  cataract  is  obtained.  The  wild  and  lonely  o;iandeur  of 
the  falls  and  their  bed  cannot  be  described.  Through  eighteen  miles 
of  canon  tiie  river  rushes  in  numerous  descents.  The  greatest  of  these 
is  nine  hundred  and  fifty  feet  across.  Its  first  leap  is  eighty-two  feet,  the 
next  two  hundred  and  ten  feet.  The  region  abounds  in  marvels.  Twin 
Falls,  Blue  Lake,  the  Vaulted  Dome,  Locomotive  Cave,  Cascade  Fall, 
the  Devil's  Corral,  Bridal  Veil,  Bridal  Train,  National  M ill-Race  Falls, 
Eagle  Rock,  and  Bell's  Island  suggest  that  man  has  been  far  less  original 
in  supplying  names  for  the  wonders  lavished  upon  him  than  Nature 
was  in  bestowing  them.  The  river 
is  crossed  by  a  cable  ferry,  which 
is  worked  by  wires  under  water 
and  overhead. 

In  our  sleeper,  for  two  nights, 
we  had  a  deputy  sheriff  from 
Seattle,  with  a  Russian  Jew  pris- 
oner in  custody.  The  latter  was 
a  villainous-looking  fellow,  appar- 
ently capable  of  any  crime.  The 
sheriff,  about  thirty  years  of  age, 
as  he  told  me,  was  one  of  the 
most  muscular  and  powerful  men 
that  1  have  ever  seen.  During 
the  day  the  prisoner  sat  in  his 
seat,  with  his  ankles  chained  to- 
gether. At  night  the  sheriff  handcuffed  himself  to  the  prisoner,  and  they 
slept  together — an  agreeable  bedfellow,  truly!  I  cannot  help  wondering 
why  it  is  that  in  the  pioneer  settlements  of  the  present  day  ruffianism, 
vulgarity,  and  defiance  of  law  are  found  in  close  company  with  advanc- 
ing civilization.  Certainly,  whatever  the  causes  were  for  the  superiority 
of  early  pioneers,  the  fact  is  that  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  and  the  Puritans 
of  New  England,  the  Dutch  burghers  of  New  Amsterdam,  the  Quakers 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  the  Cavaliers  of  Virginia  and  Carolina,  were  refined. 


n/lais  of  Hercules,   Columbia   Kiver,   Oregon. 


IN    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


honest,  respectable  men,  quite  different  from  the  cowboys  and  hoodlums 
of  the  nineteenth  century. 

Monday  morning,  at  half  past  four,  the  porter  called  me  to  dress, 
preparatory  to  leaving  the  train  at  The  Dalles.  It  was  still  dark  when, 
with  several  other  passengers,  1  went  into  the  Umadilla  House  at  The 
Dalles,  and  shortlv  after  breakfast  I  departed  in  the  stern-wheel  steam- 
boat S.  D.  Baker  down  Columbia  River. 


^^^>I^<&V2^ 


Block  House,   Cascadt-s,    Columhia    Kji'cr,   Oregon,   -.i'hoe   (jtanl   ami  SliLndan    both    ser-jcd  as  lieutenants 

in  the  ayiiiy. 

After  a  sail  of  fifty  miles  we  reached  the  Upper  Cascades.  Leav- 
ing the  vessel,  we  were  carried  around  them  for  six  miles  on  a  narrow- 
gauge  railway,  after  which  we  resumed  our  water  journev,  and  steamed 
down  sixty  miles  of  the  magnificent  river,  which  grew  broader  until 
it  looked  almost  like  an  inland  sea.  One  of  the  most  beautiful 
sights  is  that  of  Multnomah  Fall,  which  is  broken,  like  the  dust-kill  of 
Lauterbrunnen,  into  a  shimmering  mass  as  it  tumbles  seven  hundred  ant! 
twenty  feet  into  a  hillside  basin,  antl  tlien  into  the  Columbia  bv  an- 
other leap  of  one  hundred  and   thirty  feet.     The  most  noticeable  feature 


ox    THE  COLUMBIA. 


of  the  picturesque  and  varying    landscape  is  Cai)e   Horn,   whose  thou- 
sand feet  of  surface  is  seamed  Hke  the  rocks  of  the  Giant's  Causeway. 


On  the  Columbia  River. 


The  high  colouring  of  various  hues  of  red  and  gray  adds  greatly  to  the 
effect.  Of  the  same  peculiar  formation  are  Rooster  Rock  and  the  long 
line  of  palisades. 

At  the  junction  of  the  Columbia  with  its  great  tributary,  the  Wil- 
lamette, is  a  military  post.  Fort  Vancouver.  Mere  we  leave  the  Colum- 
bia, and  steam  up  the  almost  equally  beautiful  stream  on  which  stands 
the  handsome  city  of  Portland.  On  a  clear  day,  from  Fort  Vancouver 
may  be  seen  the  snow-capped  mountains  St.  Helen's,  Jefferson,  Adams, 
Hood,  and  Rainier.  The  trouble  for  the  transient  visitor  is  that  in  "rainy 
Oregon  "  the  days  are  too  often  overcast  and  the  clouds  rest  heavily  on 
the  glacial  peaks. 


IN    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


Salmon  canninp^  is  one  of  the  principal  industries  of  this  region, 
and  the  great  factories  employ  Chinese  workmen  largely.  The  salmon- 
wheels  of  the  Columbia  were  a  curiosity  to  me.  They  arc  large  cir- 
cular frames  on  pivots,  somewhat  resembling  water-wheels,  and  are 
set  at  a  slight  angle  in  the  river,  near  the  shore.     The  bottom  of  the 


»:^ 


Wheel  for  catchin:^  saliiwn,    I'ohtnihia   Kivcr. 


wheel  is  in  the  stream,  and  the  current  turns  it  so  that  such  fish  as 
happen  along  are  caught  between  the  floats  and  carried  up  until  they 
slide  down  to  a  central  trough  and  thence  to  a  receptacle  on  shore. 
Some  of  them  are  on  scows,  to  be  moored  at  various  places.  It  is 
probably  the  laziest  method  of  fishing  that  has  ever  been  invented. 

At  about  4  r.  m.  we  arrived  in  Portland,  after  a  most  enjoyable 
day.  I  drove  to  The  Portland,  a  new  and  beautiful  house  with  a 
handsome  glass  portc  cochtre  and  an  interior  court  filled  with  large 
palms  and  banana  trees — quite  different  from  the  inferior  hotel  the 
traveller  was  obliged  to  tolerate  when  I  stopped  here  two  years  ago. 

Boarding  the  sleeper  at  lo  p.m.,  1  found  myself  next  morning  at 
six  o'clock  in  Tacoma.  Here,  again,  there  is  a  beautiful  and  well- 
kept  hotel.  The  Tacoma.  I  took  the  motor  car  on  Tacoma  Avenue 
to  Old  Town,  to  see  again  the  curious  little  St.  Peter's  Church,  with  its 


TACOMA. 


9 


bell-tower,  which  was  made  by  utilizing  a  large  tree  growing  alongside 
the  edifice.  I  noted  on  my  way  the  wonderful  development  that  had 
been  wrought  in  two  short  years.  The  whole  avenue,  on  very  high  land 
overlooking  Commencement  Bay,  is  now  a  continuous  line  of  beauti- 
ful villas,  with  lovely  gardens  and  green  lawns,  all  well  kept,  neat,  and 
attractive. 

A  singular  and  interesting  fact  concerning  this  region  is  the  absence 
of  poisonous  reptiles,  insects,  or  plants.  The  motor,  on  its  way  to  what 
is  rather  comically  called  the  "  Old  Town,"  passes  a  fine  family  hotel 
named  The  Rochester,  from  the  tower  of  which  can  be  seen  nine  beauti- 
ful snow-capped  peaks.  The  sky  is  generally  clear,  and  in  the  purity  of 
the  air  the  distant  objects  seem  near  at  hand,  while  at 
night  the  great  stars  hang  out  with  magnificent  lustre. 
Venus  throws  a  reflection  on  the  sound  like  the  young 
moon  of  an  Eastern  night.  A  curious  effect  is  the 
change  of  colour  in  the  water  as  the  tide  from  the 
Pacific  rises  and  falls.  When  the  tide  is  out,  the  milky 
streams  that  flow  from  the  glaciers  turn  the  deep 
brown  -  green  waves  to  pale 
light  green.  Even  at  the 
city's  edge  the  water  is  so  deep 
that  large  vessels  moor  easily. 
The  steep  hillsides  covered 
with  dwellings,  rising  street 
above  street,  give  a  striking 
effect  from  the  water.  Mt. 
Rainier,  called  by  Tacomaites 
Mt.  Tacoma,  is  wonderful.  Its 
lofty  sides  have  never  been 
scaled  bv  man,  and  for  some 
reason  no  satisfactory  pictures 
of  it  have  been  made  by  the  camera.  It  has  the  great  advantage  of 
being  seen  from  sea-level,  so  that  its  whole  height  is  realized.      Generally 


S/.  Pc'/e/s  Church.    Tacoma.     J^cd-wood-trcc  tower. 


lO 


IN    THE   TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


amid  mountain  scenery  the  view  is  obtained  from  comparatively  lofty 
regions.  Alt.  Rainier  lifts  itself  from  the  plain,  with  no  perceptible 
foot-hills,  more  than  fourteen  thousand  feet. 

Puget  Sound  abounds  in  fine  harbours,  and  its  island-dotted  surface 
is  wonderfullv  beautiful.     The  foliage  is  of  great  size,  luxuriant,  and  very 


Si-ene  on  Puiret  Sotind. 


green.  The  timber  from  its  shores  is  sent  to 
all  the  Eastern  shipyards.  In  1869  William 
H.  Seward  said,  "  Sooner  or  later  the  world's 
ship-yards  will  be  located  on  Puget  Sound." 
It  has  been  computed  that  a  twelve-hundred- 
ton  ship  can  be  built  here  twenty  thousand 
dollars  cheaper  than  in  Bath,  Maine. 

One  thing  which  I  found  noticeable  after  I  left  the  East  is  the  want 
of "  smartness "  in  the  personal  appearance  and  attire  of  the  people. 
Dusty  clothes,  unshaven  faces,  and  unblackened  boots  are  the  rule. 

As  wealth  increases  in  these  regions,  refinement  and  cultivation  will 
increase  likewise.  The  American  is  nervous,  spirited,  and  ambitious. 
After  he  has  subdued  Nature  and  built  cities  and  towns,  and  gained  the 
first  object — money— the  next  peculiarly  American  aim,  to  have  "the 
best  that  money  can  buy,"  will  extend  to  education,  and  he  will  doubt- 
less, sooner  or  later,  prize  the  privilege  of  the  rich,  to  buy  good  taste 
itself,  and  next  to  imitate  it.  Already,  in  rude  beginnings,  refinements 
are  asserting  themselves.  The  habit  of  chewing  tobacco  has  almost  dis- 
appeared—wonderful to  say— in  places  where  formerly  the  custom  was 


ON  PUGET  SOUND. 


II 


universal.  The  next  generation  will  probably  pay  more  attention  to  the 
elegancies  of  life,  and  doubtless  disciples  of  Ward  McAllister  will  spring 
up  to  lead  the  Four  Hundred  of  the  future  in  our  Western  cities. 

Tacoma  suffered  several  years  ago  from  that  Western  epitlcmic,  a 
"  boom."  People  rushed  in  in  great  numbers,  and  the  value  of  city 
lots  went  up  to  fabulous  figures.  Finallv,  in  the  parlance  of  the  coun- 
try, "  the  boom  busted,"  and  these  prices  collapsed. 

The  streets  of  Tacoma  are  all  jiaved  with  wooden  i)lanks  eight 
inches  in  thickness  and  thirty  feet  long.  The  entire  roatlway  is  thus 
covered,  and  also  the  sidewalks.     I  have  never  seen  this  elsewhere. 

Monday  evening,  after  dinner,  I  took  a  "Gurncy"  cab  and  drove 
to  the  steamboat  wharf  where  I  learned  that  the  Olympian,  the  boat 
I  expected  to  take,  had  been  detained  at  Seattle,  for  the  interesting 
reason  that  the  engineer  and  a  deck-hand  had  engaged  in  a  fiyht,  which 
was  democratically  participated  in  also  by  the  captain  and  a  custom- 
house officer.  It  resulted  in  the  whole  party  being  arrested ;  hence 
the  boat  could  not  proceed.  Another  boat  was  secured  to  take  the 
passengers  to  Seattle,  and  we  were  then  transferred  to  the  Ohnipian. 


Cowboy  life. 


Japanese  girl  ihcping. 


CHAPTER    11. 


VICTORIA    TO    YOKOHAMA. 

JSI  Wednesday  morning  at  dawn  we  steamed 
into  Victoria,  British  Columbia.  Her 
Majesty's  customhouse  officer  did  not 
bother  me  to  open  my  luggage,  so  I 
drove  to  the  Driard  House,  where  I  found  I 
must  wait  an  hour  for  breakfast.  The  interval 
and  the  breakfast  being  disposed  of,  1  sallied  out 
to  look  again  at  the  town.  A  great  difference 
in  this  people  from  that  which  I  had  just  left 
was  noticeable  at  once.  The  tone  of  Victoria  is  distinctly  English.  Of 
the  population  of  twenty  thousand  the  majority  are  English-born.  1 
drove  to  the  Government  buildings,  which,  though  inexpensive,  look 
appropriate  to  their  use,  amid  well-kept  grounds,  with  grass  and  roads 
in  excelk-nt  condition. 

Thence  I  went  to  the  Lieutenant-Governor's  residence,  the  present 
incumbent  of  that  office  being  the  Hon.  Hugh  Nelson.  In  approach- 
ing the  house  we  flushed  a  covey  of  pheasants,  an  incident  reminding 
one  of  Old  England.  We  then  passed  Dunsmuir  Castle,  an  expensive 
stone  structure,  saw  many  beautiful  English-looking  country  seats  and 
cottages,  and  turning,  drove  out  to  Esquimalt— or  Squimalt,  as  it  is 
invariably  called— the  naval  station  of  the  British  Pacific  squadron. 
Here  is  an  excellent  dry  dock,  the  best  on  this  coast.  It  is  a  perfectly 
landlocked  little  harbour,  with  water  sufficient  for  the  largest  ships.     At 


STKOLLLXC  ABOUT  VICTORIA. 


13 


anchor  were  the  flafjship  Warspite,  the   Garnet,  and  the  Pheasant,  all 
under  command  of  Rear-Admiral  Hotham. 

Returning,  I  took  luncheon  at  the  "  Poodle-Dog  Restaurant," 
and  an  excellent  one  it  was.  The  proprietor,  Louis  Marboeuf,  is  a 
veritable  cordon  bicii,  competent  to  cook  as  good  a  dinner  as  one 
can  get  at  Bignon's  or  the  Cafe  Voisin.  I  was  told  that  he  came 
over  to   Mexico  as  chef  to  the  unfortunate   Maximilian,  and   after  the 


Hesidciice  c/  t/u-  Liiuteiiant-Govcrnor,    Victoria,  British  Columbia. 


collapse    of  the   empire    drifted    to   Victoria,   where   he   has  ever  since 
remained. 

Luncheon  over,  1  took  a  walk  to  Beacon  Hill  Park,  which  is  charm- 
ingly situated  directly  on  the  strait.  ^Vhile  I  walked,  a  lady  on  horse- 
back approached,  probably  the  wife  or  daughter  of  some  naval  officer, 
although   1   did  not  discover  who  she  was,  but  a    presence  of  such  dis- 


14 


IN    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


tinction  that  it  seemed   as  if  she   had   been  suddenly  transported  from 
Rotten  Row. 

The  view  from  the  Lieutenant-Governor's  residence  and  that  from 
Beacon   Hill   Park  are  not  surpassed  by  any  in  this  country.     The  line 


Empress  of  India. 

of  the  Olympic  Mountains  is  seen  on  the  horizon,  across  the  Strait  of 
Juan  de  Fuca,  and  to  the  southeast  rises  in  bold  relief  the  snow-capped 
Mt.  Baker.  Opportunities  for  sport  in  this  neighbourhood  are  unri- 
valled. Mountain  goats,  bear,  and  deer  abound,  and  the  fishing  is 
excellent  in  the  sea  and  in  the  rivers.  In  the  streets  of  Victoria  one 
sees  many  sailors,  red-coated  marines,  and  a  few  of  the  Dominion  Garri- 
son Artillery,  one  company  of  which  is  stationed  there. 

After  dinner  I  took  my  departure  on  the  night  boat  for  Vancouver, 
arriving  there  at  8.30  a.  m.  In  approaching  the  shore  I  saw  the  Empress 
of  India,  the  good  ship  that  was  to  transport  me  to  the  Mikado's  island 


VANCOUVER,    THE  CITY  IN    THE   U'/LPERNESS. 


empire.  On  landing  I  drovL-  at  once  to  the  Hotel  Vancouver,  a  house 
owned  and  managed  by  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway.  It  is  a  fine  new 
brick  and  stone  building,  well  situated,  with  a  view  of  the  Cascade 
Mountains  and  the  inlet,  and  in  all  respects  pleasant  and  comfortable. 
The  harbour,  called  Burrard  Inlet  or  Coal  Harbour,  resembles  a  lake, 
so  narrow  is  its  entrance,  yet  large  and  laden  ships  can  enter  without 
difficulty.  Considering  that  the  city — lor  city  it  is — has  only  existed 
since  1886,  its  site  before  that  date  being  a  dense  forest,  it  is  a  remark- 
able instance  of  what  can  be  done  in  a  few  years.  The  buildings  are 
substantially  constructed,  and  the  character  of  the  inhabitants  is  excel- 
lent. It  is  certainly  a  most  desirable  town  for  educated  Englishmen 
and  Scotchmen  to  settle  in,  for  the  tone  of  the  place  is  refined  and 
respectable — everything,  indeed,  that  could  be  desired. 

The  hotel  is  about  to  be  doubled  in  size,  the  present  accommodations 
being  insufficient  on  account  of  the  increased  travel  to  Japan  and  China. 
The  temperature  is  very  equable,  never  too  cold  nor  too  warm,  the  only 
drawback  being  the  frequent  rains.  There  is  plenty  of  sunshine  also, 
and  the  climate  is  remarkably  similar  to  that  about  the  Lakes  of  Kil- 
larnev,  in  Ireland. 

Stanley  Park,  named  for  the  present  Governor-General,  Lord  Stanley 
of  Preston,  is  on  a  beautiful  point  of  land  between  English  Bay  and 
Burrard  Inlet.  There  are  many  Indians  in  this  part  of  the  Domin- 
ion, but  they  are  peaceable  and  friendly,  giving  no  trouble.  Here,  as 
in  California  and  Oregon,  cent  pieces  are  never  seen,  the  smallest  coin 
used  being  the  half  dime  or  nickel. 

I  spent  three  days  at  \^ancouver,  after  which  my  luggage  was  sent 
on  board  the  steamer,  and  I  prepared  to  sail  for  Yokohama,  a  distance 
of  forty-three  hundred  miles. 

Sunday,  October  25th,  was  a  fine  sunny  day  at  Vancouver.  At 
exactly  a  quarter  before  2  p.  m.  one  of  the  officers  walked  up  to  the 
captain  and  said,  "The  mails  are  all  aboard,  sir."  "Cast  off!"  was  the 
captain's  reply,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  new  and  stanch  steamsiiip 
Empress  of  India  was  under  way  on  her  fourth   voyage  to  Japan  and 


i6 


IN    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


China.  A  sailor  fell  overboard  while  we  lay  at  the  wharf,  but  was 
rescued  after  considerable  difficulty.  Out  of  the  harbour,  through 
the  narrows,  and  into  Puget  Sound  we  steamed.  At  about  7 
1'.  M.  we  stopped  at  Victoria  to  take  on  board  more  passengers, 
principally  Chinese,  and  then,  pushing  out  through  the  Strait  of 
Juan  de   Fuca,  we  were  ploughing  the   Pacific  Ocean. 

Sailing  through  Pu- 
get Sound,  we  passed  a 
school  of  whales,  spout- 
ing away  vigourously 
and  disporting  them- 
selves in  characteristic 
gambols. 

Our  ship  registered 
six  thousand  tons  bur- 
den, and  was  com- 
manded by  Captain  O. 
P.  Marshall,  of  the 
Royal  Naval  Reserve. 
She  was  built  under 
admiralty  supervision, 
and  is  liable  to  be 
taken  for  a  cruiser  in 
case  of  necessity.  We 
therefore  carried  the 
blue  instead  of  the  red 
ensign,  which  merchant 
ships  usually  fly. 

We  had  on  board 
seven  missionaries,  go- 
ing to  their  fields  of 
labour ;    a  correspond- 

Road'.^av  in   Stanh-v  Park,    ramouver.  CUt        of       thC       LondOH 


A    TEMPESTUOUS   VOYAGE.  1 7 

Daily  Chronicle,  on  his  way  to  Pamir  and  Thibet,  to  inquire  into  the 
Russian  advance  in  that  direction  ;  Shenango  Mizuno,  Secretary  of  the 
Japanese  House  of  Commons,  who  most  courteously  invited  me  to  be 
present  at  the  opening  of  the  Diet  by  the  Mikado;  Senor  J.  M.  Ras- 
con,  the  Mexican  minister  to  Japan,  and  his  beautiful  wife,  both  of 
whom  I  found  most  cultivated  and  intelligent.  All  told,  there  were 
about  ninety  first-cabin  passengers,  twenty  in  the  second  cabin,  and 
four  hundred  and  thirty-eight  in  the  steerage,  the  latter  all  Chinese 
returning  home.  Officers  and  crew  were  English,  but  the  stokers  and 
stewards  were  Chinamen. 

Our  voyage  was  very  tempestuous  from  the  moment  we  entered  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  and  grew  worse  and  worse.  We  were  unable  to  go  on 
deck  ;  windows,  doors,  and  hatches  were  battened  down,  and  the  saloon 
and  library  were  lighted  with  electric  lights  during  the  day  as  well  as 
at  night.  The  sailors,  in  accordance  with  their  old-time  sujierstiticn, 
ascribed  the  storm  to  the  presence  of  the  missionaries  on  board.  We 
made  matters  worse  by  taking  an  extreme  northern  course,  going  within 
sight  of  the  Aleutian  Islands,  and  getting  the  full  sweep  of  the  gale 
through   Bering  Sea  and  afterward  directly  off  the  Kamtchatkan  coast. 

On  Sunday,  November  ist,  we  passed  the  one  hundred  and  eightieth 
meridian  and  dropped  the  next  day  out  of  our  lives.  There  was  no 
November  2d  for  us.  We  jumped  to  Tuesday,  the  3d,  and  could  say 
with  the  Roman  emperor  that  we  had  lost  a  day — though  not  through 
any  fault  of  our  own.  There  was  a  sensation  of  strangeness  and  hollow- 
ness  in  having  the  bottom  slip  out  of  time  in  this  manner.  It  was 
terrible  weather,  and  we  should  have  been  thankful  to  lose  an  entire 
voyageful  of  such  days  as  we  underwent.  It  seemed  a  practical  joke  of 
Father  Chronos,  or  as  if  Puck  had  arranged  it  in  his  notable  girdling 
of  the  earth  in  forty  minutes,  or  as  if  somebody  had  succeeded  in  boring 
a  round  hole  through  eternity  and  left  it  in  that  condition  ;  but  we  were 
not  grieved.  The  next  week  passed  slowdy.  The  sea  continued  rough, 
and  the  wind  blew  a  hurricane,  but  at  last  we  became  accustomed  to 
the  weather,  and  the  days  were  not  so  disagreeable  after  all. 


i8 


IN   THE    TRACK  OF   THE  SUN. 


On  Sunday  morning,  November  8th,  when  I  awoke,  the  sea  was 
smooth.  The  sun  shone  brightly,  and  the  air  was  warm  and  bahny. 
Once  on  deck,  to  my  delight  I  found  that  we  were  within  two  miles 
of  a  coast,  and  in  the  midst  of  a  fleet  of  perhaps  a  hundred  Japanese 
fishing-junks.  These  were  the  first  sails  we  had  seen  since  leaving 
Puget  Sound,  and  this  was  Japan. 

The  sail  up  to  Yokohama  I  found  most  interesting,  moving  as  we 
did  along  the  shore,  and  passing  innumerable  boats  of  all  sizes  and 
shapes,  some  sailing  and  others  being  rowed.     At  half  past  twelve  we 

entered  the  inner  har- 
bour, and  cast  anchor 
alongside  vessels  of  all 
nations,  principally  war- 
ships. We  were  at  once 
surrounded  by  a  sw^arm 
of  small  boats  called  saju- 
pans,  with  one  or  two 
oars,  if  I  may  so  call  the 
implement  with  which 
the  little  craft  were  pro- 
pelled, very  much  in  the 
same  manner  as  are  the 
gondolas  at  Venice. 

All  was  confusion, 
each  oarsman  striving 
to  get  his  lioat  nearer 
than  those  of  the  others 
to  the  side  of  the  steam- 
er, in  hope  of  securing  a 
job  to  carry  some  one 
ashore.  These  boatmen  frequently  wear  only  a  small  strip  of  white  cot- 
ton cloth  just  wide  enough  to  prevent  total  nakedness,  and  their  brown 
skins  look  extremely  picturesque.     The  Japanese  are  serenely  free  from 


i 


0  lias  hi. 


THE  CHR  YSANTHEMUM   EMPIRE. 


19 


false  modesty.  My  guide  on  a  later  occasion  took  me  into  a  bathing- 
house.  There  were  about  a  dozen  women  present,  all  entirely  nude, 
but  they  paid  no  attention  to  our  presence,  and  did  not  seem  in  the 
least  degree  disconcerted,  and  they  were  all  perfectly  respectable. 


Ja/^ijiit'st'  Fencers. 


The  luggage  was  placed  on  a  tender ;  we  took  another  boat,  bade 
farewell  to  our  steamer,  and  in  a  few  minutes  were  standing  on  the  soil 
of  the  Chrysanthemum  Empire.  Our  luggage  was  then  examined  by 
the  customs  authorities  in  a  quiet  and  efficient  manner,  quite  different 
from  the  style   in  vogue  at   New  York.      1  jumped   into  a  jinrikisha — 


20  /A"    THE   TRACK  OF   THE  SUN. 


my  first  experience  of  this  style  of  conveyance — drawn  by  a  little  Jap 
on  a  full  run,  and  was  borne  in  no  time  to  the  Grand  Hotel,  where  I 
had  assigned  to  me  a  pleasant  room  looking  out  on  the  water  in  full 
view  of  the  Sacred  Mountain  Fusiyama. 

The  next  thinaf  to  do  was  to  secure  the  services  of  a  courier  and 
guide,  and  I  engaged  an  active  little  man  named  Ohashi  to  accompany 
me  throughout  my  stay  in  the  Mikado's  dominions.  Ohashi  proposed 
that  I  should  at  once  take  a  jinrikisha  to  visit  the  interesting  sights  of 
Yokohama,  and  I  promptly  acceded,  the  confinement  and  monotony 
of  life  on  shipboard  making  this  new  experience  highly  welcome.  We 
traveled  through  many  interesting  parts  of  the  town  ;  went  to  strange 
little  theatres  constructed  of  bamboo  poles  covered  with  matting,  and 
saw  performances  of  various  kinds — wrestling,  fencing,  and  at  one  place 
a  gymnastic  monkey  troupe,  whose  simian  artists  were  the  most  intel- 
ligent of  their  race  I  have  ever  seen.  They  were  dressed  like  men,  and 
wore  masks  to  represent  human  faces.  I  felt  almost  like  becoming  a 
convert  to  the  Darwinian  theory.  We  saw  also  a  woman  in  whose 
navel  was  inserted  a  whistle,  which  she  blew  as  one  would  with  the 
mouth ;  after  which  instrumentation  she  smoked  a  pipe  by  the  same 
ingenious  agency.  Continuing  on  through  the  city,  we  visited  several 
Buddhist  and  Shinto  temples,  and,  as  this  was  the  first  time  that  I  had 
seen  the  heathen  worshipping  their  idols,  I  was  much  interested. 

By  the  time  we  returned  it  was  quite  dark,  and  the  jinrikisha  men 
stopped  and  lighted  little  paper  lanterns,  producing  an  effect  that  added 
forcibly  to  the  strangeness  of  the  scene.  I  got  back  a  little  before 
seven,  and  went  in  to  dinner.  The  waiters  at  the  Grand  Hotel  were  of 
course  Japanese.  They  were  dressed  in  white  linen  jackets  made  with- 
out collars,  dark-blue  tights,  and  no  shoes,  but  socks,  called  tabi,  in  which 
is  fashioned  a  separate  receptacle  for  the  great  toe. 

Japanese  servants  are  certainly  rapid,  noiseless,  and  effective.  Thus 
well  attended,  and  after  an  excellent  dinner,  with  a  bottle  of  Moet  and 
Chandon,  Imperial  Brut,  which  I  relished  after  my  sea-voyage  of  two 
weeks,  I  took  a  jinrikisha,  and,  accompanied  by  my  courier  Ohashi,  went 


LIGHTS  OF   yOKOHA.]/A. 


21 


for  a  ride  around  the  town.  The  streets  in  the  exclusively  Japanese 
quarter  were  brilliantly  illuminated  with  coloured  lanterns,  and  were  full 
of  picturesqucness  and  activity.  On  our  return  we  passed  through  the 
district  assigned  to  houses  of  prostitution.      These  establishments    are 


Buddhist  Prics/s,  Japan. 

curiouslv  arranged.  The  front  is  like  a  large  cage,  with  wooden  bars 
about  two  inches  in  thickness,  and  within  these  rooms  are  a  row  of 
unfortunate  young  girls  from  sixteen  to  nineteen  years  of  age,  dressed  in 
showy  and  expensive  gowns,  squatting  on  their  knees,  witii  their  hands 
clasped.     They  rarely  speak,  even  to  one  another.     These  girls  are  bound 


22 


IN    THE    TRACK  OF   THE  SUN. 


by  their  parents  to  this  horrible  traffic  for  three  years.  When  this  time 
expires  they  go  back  to  their  homes,  and  usually  marry  and  again  become 
respectable  members  of  society,  according  to  Japanese  conventions. 

Monday  morning,  after  an  early  breakfast,  1  visited  several  Japanese 
shops,  and  made  purchases  until  I  felt  as  if  bankruptcy  were  staring  me 
in  the  face.  The  temptation  to  buy  overcomes  the  Occidental  in  Japan, 
where  the  bronze,  lacquer-work,  and  embroideries   are  such  marvels  of 


Fritit-sellin'^  in   ]'okoharna. 


oddity,  delicacy,  and  beauty,  handicraft  and  art,  as  to  be  all  but  irresistible 
in  their  pull  at  the  purse-strings. 

After  luncheon,  or  tiffin,  as  we  must  say  here — and  an  excellent 
tiffin  indeed — I  rested  for  two  hours,  and  then  with  the  courier  resumed 
the  employment  of  the  jinrikisha,  and  visited  the  Bluff,  where  are  the 
houses  of  the  Europeans.  Many  of  these  are  beautiful  and  attractive. 
We  now  pushed  on  into  the  country,  through  many  rice  fields,  where  the 
natives  were  cutting  and  thrashing  the  rice,  and  returned  after  a  tour  of 


FIRST   VISIT   TO    TOKIO.  23 

about  ten  miles.  The  jinrikisha  men  seemed  as  fresh  as  when  they 
set  out.  Dinner  followed  ;  then  a  fresh  ride  about  town,  then  bed  and 
obliviousness. 

Tattooing  in  Japan  is  a  fine  art.  To  the  native  it  is  now  forbidden 
by  law,  but  many  foreigners,  especially  titled  Englishmen,  have  speci- 
mens of  dragons,  serpents,  and  other  strange  designs  worked  on  their 
arms  and  bodies  by  F.  M.  Harichiyo,  who  stands  at  the  head  of  his 
profession  in  Yokohama.  His  charges  are  very  high,  some  persons 
having  paid  as  much  as  two  thousand  dollars  for  his  handiwork.  The 
Duke  of  Clarence,  the  Duke  of  York,  Lord  de  Clifford,  the  Duke  of 
Marlborough,  and  many  officers  of  the  Guards,  have  bestowed  upon 
him  their  recommendations,  which  are  recorded  in  a  book  he  keeps  for 
that  purpose. 

Tuesday  morning  I  left  Yokohama,  with  my  guide,  on  the  9.20  train 
for  Tokio.  The  country  through  which  we  passed  was  fertile,  and  de- 
voted to  the  cultivation  of  rice,  various  kinds  of  fruit,  and  vegetables. 
The  Japanese,  like  the  Chinese,  live  almost  entirely  on  rice,  fish,  eggs, 
chickens,  and  fruit.  But  few  cattle,  sheep,  and  horses  are  raised. 
Ploughs  do  not  seem  to  be  used  at  all,  and  carts  rarely  except  in  the 
"  treaty  ports."  The  native  houses  are  uncomfortable  in  winter ;  the 
sides  are  made  of  soft  paper,  which  is  covered  in  bad  weather  by  sliding 
panels  of  boards. 

We  arrived  at  the  capital  in  about  forty  minutes  from  Yokohama, 
went  at  once  to  the  Imperial  Hotel,  a  large  and  excellent  hostelry, 
deposited  my  luggage,  and  then  continued  on  to  the  American  legation 
for  the  purpose  of  getting  my  passport  to  visit  the  interior.  The 
chargd  d'affaires,  Mr.  Edwin  Dun,  most  politely  gave  me  much  useful 
information  for  my  guidance. 

On  my  way  back  to  the  hotel  I  stopped  at  a  Shinto  temple,  where, 
it  being  a  fete  day,  a  great  crowd  was  present  witnessing  the  cere- 
monies. Before  saying  their  prayers  in  front  of  this  shrine,  the  wor- 
shippers wash  in  a  basin  provided  for  that  purpose,  not  their  feet, 
as  the  Mohammedans  do,  but  their  hands,  wiping  them   on   small   red 


24 


I  A'   THE    TRACK  OF   THE  SUN. 


P 


:T%"W, 


and  blue  towels.  They  then  proceed  to  the  shrine,  throw  some  small 
pieces  of  money  into  a  box,  pull  a  rope  that  rings  a  bell,  drop  on  their 
knees  and  say  their  prayers.  Many  persons  also  bring  offerings  of 
_  fruit,  rice,  and  the   like.      The   priests 

remain  near  the  altar,  which  is  lighted 
with  small  candles,  and  their  dress  and 
mitres  reminded  me  of  their  Roman 
Catholic  brethren. 

We  soon  left  the  temple  and  con- 
tinued on  our  way  back,  passing  the 
Imperial  University,  the  Houses  of 
Parliament,  and  the  Club.  I  must 
acknowledge  in  this  place  the  kind- 
ness of  Mr.  Peyton  Jaudon,  a  New- 
Yorker,  who  has  lived  here  for  twenty- 
three  years.  Immediately  after  my 
arrival  he  showed  me  much  polite- 
ness, and  inscribed  my  name  as  a  vis- 
itor at  the  Club,  which  is  an  excellent 
institution. 

In  Tokio  I  saw  soldiers.  Some  in  dress,  manner,  and  traits  are 
an  exact  copy  of  the  German  soldiers,  while  others  resemble  the 
French  both  in  their  training  and  their  uniform.  The  cause  of  this 
difference  is,  that  the  instructors  are  French  officers  for  some  and 
Prussian  for  others.  The  troops  are  young,  and,  for  Japanese,  strong 
and  large. 

At  2  p.  M.  I  set  out  for  the  garden  party  given  by  the  Emperor 
at  the  Detached  Palace.  He  arrived  at  about  three,  in  a  carriage 
thoroughly  English  in  appearance,  with  servants  dressed  in  English 
liveries,  and  an  aid  in  magnificent  uniform.  The  Emperor,  attired  in 
military  uniform,  was  accompanied  by  all  the  important  functionaries 
of  the  Government,  and  escorted  by  a  detachment  of  lancers.  The 
assemblage  was  brilliant,  but  was  cut  short  by  a  heavy  shower  of  rain. 


— -:^ 


Shinto  p)i€st. 


THE  GREAT  EARTHQUAKE. 


I  returned  from  the  garden  party  through  the  grounds  surround- 
ing the  Imperial  Palace  (which  was  burned  April  3,  1872).  The 
castle  and  garden  are  completely  encircled  by  a  very  broad  and  deep 
moat,  and  the  public  are  not  admitted.  A  high  stone  wall  is  raised 
also  to  prevent  access ;  and  on  the  top  of  this  wall,  in  certain  places, 
are  reared  picturesque  Japanese  buildings.  The  whole  effect  is  hand- 
some and  attractive.  We  also  passed  the  superb  residences  of  some 
of  the  wealthy  nobility — all  the  structures  being  modern,  and  resembling 
splendid  French  chateaux.  I  was  astounded  at  their  size  and  grandeur ; 
any  one  of  them  would  be  considered  a  palace  in  Newport.  The 
Ginza,  the  principal  street  of  Tokio,  has  a  line  of  omnibuses  and  a 
tramway. 

We  stopped  for  an  hour  at  the  principal  theatre  and  saw  the  play. 
A  famous  actor,  the  Henry  Irving  of  his  country,  was  performing.  The 
theatre  is  large  and  comfortable,  and  resembles  a  European  one,  ex- 
cept that  there  are  no  seats.  The  audience  all  sit  cross-legged  on  the 
floor.  The  performance  begins  at  1 1  a.  m.  and  continues  until  9 
p.  M.  Between  the  acts  meals  are  served  in  lacquered  boxes,  on  trays, 
and  tea  is  handed  round.  The  meal  of  which  my  guide  partook  was 
rice  and  raw  fish  chopped  fine  and  made  into  croquettes,  and  a  species 
of  glutinou-3  seaweed  rolled  into  balls  and  cooked.  He  ate  it  all  with 
apparent  relish.  The  scenery  and  the  different  curtains  used — for  there 
were  several — were  remarkably  fine.  The  whole  stage  revolved,  and  by 
this  means  the  scenery  could  be  brought  forward  into  use  as  wanted. 
After  the  theatre  I  went  back  to  dinner.  It  rained,  and  I  was  glad  of 
the  occasion  it  gave  me  to  seek  an  early  bed. 

The  terrific  earthquake  of  1891  visited  Japan  on  October  28th,  ten 
days  before  my  arrival  there.  This  convulsion  was  the  most  disastrous 
in  the  history  of  the  country  since  it  has  been  opened  to  Europeans. 
The  district  affected  was  in  the  mountains,  and  the  exact  number  of 
the  killed  and  injured,  and  of  the  houses  destroyed,  will  probably  never 
be  accurately  known.  In  nearly  all  the  towns  the  debris  took  fire  and 
was  completely  consumed,  which  rendered  it   impossible  for  the  people 


IN   THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


to  rebuild  their  houses  out  of  the  same  material.  The  official  returns 
place  the  casualties  at  ten  thousand  people  killed  and  injured,  and  about 
forty-seven  thousand  houses  destroyed.  In  describins:  the  part  of  the 
country  where  the  earthquake  happened  I  will  give  the  result  of 
my  own  observations  after  transcribing  the  following  from  the  Japan 
Gazette : 

"An  earthquake  occurred  in  Japan  on  the  morning  of  October  28th, 
at  about  half  past  six,  which  proved  the  most  disastrous  seismic  disturb- 
ance that  has  visited  these  islands  for  the  last  thirty-seven  years.  For 
some  reason  not  quite  obvious,  seeing  that  violent  earthquakes  have  by 
no  means  occurred  at  regular  intervals,  the  Japanese  expected  some  such 
calamity  to  befall  the  country  on  or  about  his  Majesty  the  Emperor's 
birthday,  November  3d ;  and  it  is  a  curious  coincidence  that  the  earth- 
quake only  anticipated  the  date  assigned  in  these  dismal  apprehensions 
by  seven  days.  The  shock,  as  experienced  in  Yokohama  and  Tokio, 
was  sufficiently  sharp  to  be  alarming  in  some  degree,  but  although  it 
lasted  quite  three  minutes,  little  damage  was  done  ;  the  chimney  of  the 
Electric  Light  Company's  works,  a  very  top-heavy  structure,  and  a  not 
over-stalwart  godoivn  in  China  Town,  being  the  sum  total  of  damage 
in  Yokohama,  unless  we  may  mention  such  trifles  as  the  gold-fish  in  a 
garden  pond  being  tossed  on  to  the  surrounding  bank,  and  a  few  tea- 
cups being  dislodged  from  shelves.  In  Tokio  but  little  damage  was 
done,  thousfh  nineteen  shocks  in  all  were  felt.  The  full  force  of  the 
earthquake  was  experienced  in  Aichi  and  Gifu  Kens,  in  Mino  Province, 
about  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles,  in  rough  calculation,  from  the 
capital,  situated  on  the  Tokaido,  along  the  south  coast.  The  Jiji  Shimpo 
publishes  a  correspondence  from  Gifu,  dated  Friday,  October  30th,  which 
is  to  the  following  effect : 

"About  a  quarter  to  seven,  on  the  morning  of  the  28th,  a  rumbling- 
noise  was  heard,  which  was  almost  simultaneously  followed  by  a  violent 
shock,  making  the  earth  open  in  several  places,  and  causing  houses  to 
fall  in  all  directions ;  groans  and  shrieks  from  the  terrified,  the  dying,  and 
the  wounded,  filling  the  air.     The  direction  of  the  motion  appeared  to  be 


THE  STORY  OF    THE  RON  INS.  27 

from  north-northeast  to  south-southeast.  The  violence  of  the  shaking 
was  really  alarming,  and  almost  every  one  felt  as  sick  as  if  on  board 
a  vessel.  The  houses  were  completely  brought  down,  their  roofs  lying 
on  the  ground,  on  both  sides  of  the  streets,  the  people  passing  to  and 
fro  over  them  in  many  cases,  and  finding  great  difficulty  in  making  a 
way  through  the  debris!' 

Wednesday  morning  was  like  a  May  day,  warm  and  pleasant,  and 
Ohashi  and  I,  soon  after  breakfast,  took  jinrikishas  and  went  directly  to 
the  Shiba  temples.  In  my  wildest  dreams  I  had  never  thought  that 
anything  in  Japan  could  be  so  beautiful  as  these  temples  and  the  park 
that  surrounds  them.  Here  are  the  tombs  of  the  Shoguns.  The  lacquer- 
work,  the  carvings,  the  altars,  are  marvels  of  art.  The  park  is  beauti- 
fully kept,  and  the  roads,  like  those  in  Tokio,  are  excellent.  It  is  full 
of  large  trees  of  various  kinds,  but  principally  a  variety  of  pine,  which, 
instead  of  growing  up  vertically  and  mastlike  as  it  does  with  us,  spreads 
out  like  an  English  oak. 

From  Shiba  Park  we  went  across  the  street  to  a  curious  bazaar,  and 
then  on  to  the  Maple-wood  Club.  This  is  a  large  building,  of  many 
rooms,  made  entirely  of  maple  wood,  as  its  name  indicates,  in  Japanese 
style,  where  select  parties  have  their  entertainments.  The  surrounding 
grounds  are  attractive  and  contain  many  handsome  cherry,  maple,  and 
camphor  trees.  The  display  of  cherry  blossoms  here  in  the  spring  is  said 
to  be  superb.  We  partook  of  tea  and  some  curious  pink  cakes  made 
of  uncooked  rice,  flour,  and  sugar,  dried  in  the  oven  but  not  baked. 

Here,  as  at  the  Shiba  temples,  we  were  obliged  to  take  off  our 
shoes  and  leave  them  outside,  following  the  example  of  the  natives,  and 
walking  in  our  stocking-feet.  We  left  the  Maple  Club  reluctantly,  and 
directed  our  way  to  the  place  where  the  forty-seven  Ronins  lie  buried 
together  in  a  certain  division  of  a  cemetery.  Incense  is  burned  here 
constantly,  and  on  certain  feast-days  many  persons  leave  their  visiting- 
cards  on  Oishi  Kuranosuke's  grave.  A  Ronin  was  a  man  of  gentle 
blood,  who  had  become  separated  from  the  prince  to  whom  he  owed 
allegiance.     Attachment  to  such  a  master  was  the  leading  passion  of  a 


28  IX    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


retainer's  life,  and  appreciation  of  such  devotion  was  the  highest  senti- 
ment of  national  honour.  A  Ronin  was  privileged  to  bear  arms,  and 
when  Fate  had  cast  him  adrift  he  became  a  sort  of  knight-errant.  Men 
would  sometimes  become  Ronins  in  order  to  exempt  their  lords  from 
the  penalty  attached  to  some  deed  of  blood. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century  an  ambassador  was  sent 
from  the  Mikado  to  the  lord  of  the  Castle  of  Ako,  whose  title  was  "  Bar- 
barian-repressing-Commander-in-Chief"  Takumi  no  Kami  and  another 
noble,  Kaimei  Sama,  were  appointed  to  entertain  him,  and  a  high  officer 
named  Kotsuke  no  Suke  was  named  to  teach  them  the  necessary  cere- 
monies to  be  observed.  The  two  noblemen  were  compelled  to  go  to  the 
castle  every  day  and  be  instructed.  As  the  lessons  progressed,  Suke 
received,  as  was  customary,  a  present  from  each  nobleman  in  recognition 
of  his  services.  He  was  a  greedy  soul,  and,  thinking  the  rewards  con- 
temptible, he  turned  the  instruction  into  ridicule,  and  Kaimei  Sama, 
who  was  the  more  violent  of  the  two,  determined  to  kill  Suke.  When 
the  ceremonies  were  ended  and  Sama  had  returned  to  his  palace,  he  sum- 
moned his  followers  and  in  secret  conference  told  of  the  insults  that  had 
been  put  upon  him  and  his  companion.  He  added  :  "  I  thought  to  kill 
Suke  upon  the  spot,  but  reflected  that  not  only  should  I  lose  my  life,  but 
my  family  and  vassals  would  be  ruined.  Still,  I  have  now  resolved  that, 
come  what  will,  he  must  die  by  my  hand."  Among  the  retainers  was  a 
discreet  man,  who  saw  that  remonstrance  was  useless,  so  he  said  :  "  Vour 
words  are  law;  your  servants  will  prepare  themselves.  To-morrow,  if 
Suke  comes  to  the  court,  treat  him  according  to  your  wishes."  Sama 
longed  for  dawn,  that  he  might  execute  his  purpose,  but  the  counsellor 
went  home  heavy-hearted.  After  reflection  on  the  matter,  he  decided  to 
save  his  master  and  the  household.  He  collected  all  the  money  he  could 
and  went  to  Suke's  palace,  and  addressed  his  retainers  in  these  words  : 
"  My  master,  who  is  now  occupied  in  the  entertainment  of  the  imperial 
envoy,  owes  much  thanks  to  Lord  Kotsuke  no  Suke.  He  sends  but  a 
shabby  present,  but  hopes  his  lordship  will  condescend  to  accept  it." 
Kotsuke   sent  with  delighted   eagerness   for  the  counsellor  to   come  to 


THE  STORY  OF    THE  RONIXS. 


29 


his  inner  chamber,  and  after  thanking  him,  promised  on  the  morrow  to 
be  more  careful  than  ever  in  his  instruction  on  every  point  of  etiquette. 
When  Kaimei  arrived  he  found  the  manner  of  Suke  so  changed  that  his 
heart  gradually  softened,  and  he  renounced  his  idea  of  killing  him.  When 
Takumi  no  Kami  followed,  Suke  ridiculed  him,  but  he  took  no  apparent 
notice  of  the  insults.     Finally,  Suke  said  haughtily,  "  My  sock-ribbon  has 


Gniiid  Hotel.    Yoko/tama. 


come  untied  ;  be  so  good  as  to  tie  it,  my  Lord  of  Takumi."  Takumi  was 
in  an  inward  frenzy,  but  believed  that,  as  he  was  on  duty,  he  must  obey. 
As  he  did  so  Suke  said  :  "  Why,  how  clumsy  you  are  !  Any  one  can  see 
that  you  are  a  boor,  and  know  nothing  of  the  fashions  in  Yeddo."  As 
he  spoke  he  moved  away.  "  Stop  a  moment,  my  lord,"  said  Kami. 
"  Well,  for   what.'*"  said   Suke.      Kami    drew   a   dirk   from    his  belt   and 


/A'   THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


aimed  a  blow  at  him.  Suke,  saved  by  his  court  cap,  retreated.  Kami 
chased  him,  and  missing  his  aim,  struck  his  dirk  into  a  pillar  just  as  a  court 
officer  came  upon  the  scene,  and  Suke  escaped.  A  council  decided  that 
Takumi  no  Kami,  for  thus  disturbing  the  peace,  must  perform  hara- 
kiri,  that  his  castle  must  be  confiscated,  and  his  retainers  become  R6- 
nins.  Among  them  was  one  called  Oishi  Kuranosuke,  who  with  forty- 
six  others  formed  a  sacred  compact  to  kill  Kotsuke  no  Suke.  They 
laid  many  plans,  but  Kotsuke  was  so  well  guarded  that  there  was  no 
hope  except  in  strategy.  To  effect  this  they  separated,  and,  disguised  as 
carpenters  or  merchants,  or  other  tradesmen,  pursued  their  various  call- 
ings. Kuranosuke,  the  leader,  gave  himself  up  to  drunkenness  and  evil 
ways,  until  the  passers-by  sneered  at  him,  and  his  wife  separated  from 
him  amid  bitter  reproaches.  One  day  a  Satsuma  man,  seeing  him  in 
the  gutter,  called  him  a  fool  and  a  craven,  who  had  not  the  heart  to 
avenge  his  lord,  and  was  unworthy  of  a  soldier's  name.  Then  he  spat 
on  him  and  trod  on  his  face,  without  moving  the  insensate  Kuranosuke. 
Kotsuke  no  Suke's  spies  carried  this  news  to  their  lord,  and  he  felt  that 
certainly  all  danger  was  over.  Meantime  the  carpenters  and  other 
workmen  had,  in  the  way  of  their  callings,  found  entrance  into  Suke's 
palace  and  become  familiar  with  its  arrangement  and  customs.  At  last 
Kuranosuke  believed  that  the  time  had  arrived.  In  the  depth  of  winter 
he  fled  secretly  from  Yeddo,  rallied  his  followers,  and  the  attack  was 
planned.  When  all  was  ready,  Oishi  Kuranosuke  made  two  speeches 
to  the  Ronins,  saying:  "To-night  we  shall  attack  our  enemy  in  his 
palace ;  his  retainers  will  certainly  resist  us,  and  we  shall  be  obliged 
to  kill  them  ;  but  to  slay  old  men  and  women  and  children  is  a  pitiful 
thing ;  therefore  I  pray  you  to  take  great  heed  lest  you  kill  a  single 
helpless  person."  By  a  messenger  he  sent  the  following  to  the  neigh- 
bouring houses : 

"  We,  the  Ronins,  who  were  formerly  in  the  service  of  Asano 
Takumi  no  Kami,  are  this  night  about  to  break  into  the  palace  of  Kot- 
suke no  Suke  to  avenge  our  lord.  As  we  are  neither  night  robbers  nor 
ruffians,  no  hurt  will  be  done  to  the  neighbouring  homes." 


THE  STORY  OF    THE  ROXINS.  3 1 

The  neiafhbours  had  no  love  for  Kotsuke  no  Suke,  and  nothing  in 
such  an  enterprise  was  to  be  feared  from  them.  The  Ronins  forced  an 
entrance  to  the  pakice,  and  fought  step  by  step  until  every  man  in 
Suke's  household  was  slain.  Occasionally  Takumi's  men  wavered,  but 
the  daring  leader  was  everywhere,  cheering  them  on  and  keeping  the 
one  end  in  view.  From  one  hiding-place  to  another  they  hunted  the 
helpless  chieftain.  At  last  Kuranosuke  dragged  him  forth,  and  thus  ad- 
dressed him  : 

"  My  lord,  we  are  the  retainers  of  Asano  Takumi  no  Kami.  Last 
year  your  lordship  and  our  master  quarrelled  in  the  palace,  and  our 
master  was  sentenced  to  hara-kiri,  and  his  family  were  ruined.  We 
have  come  to-night  to  avenge  him,  as  is  the  duty  of  faithful  and  loyal 
men.  I  pray  your  lordship  to  acknowledge  the  justice  of  our  purpose. 
And  now,  my  lord,  we  beseech  you  to  perform  hara-kiri.  I  myself  shall 
have  the  honour  to  act  as  your  second  ;  and  when,  witli  all  humility, 
I  shall  have  received  your  lordship's  head,  it  is  mv  intention  to  lay  it 
as  an  offering  upon  the  grave  of  Asano  Takumi  no  Kami."  But  the 
cowering  nobleman  had  not  will  enough  left  to  die  that  death  deemed 
worthy  of  his  rank,  and  so  Kuranosuke  cut  off  his  head  and  bore  it 
away  in  triumph.  Before  leaving,  the  Ronins  extinguished  the  lights 
and  fires,  lest  an  accident  should  endanger  the  neighbourhood.  Their 
way  to  the  town  was  a  triumphal  march,  such  was  the  admiration  felt 
for  them  as  soon  as  the  cause  for  the  strange  procession  was  explained. 
Then  they  called  for  the  priests  to  burn  incense,  and  begged  that,  when 
they  had  committed  hara-kiri,  the  money  which  was  handed  to  the 
priests  should  be  used  in  masses.  This  done,  they  patiently  waited  the 
inevitable  sentence  from  the  supreme  authority.  This  was  the  order  that 
they  expected,  and  the  faithful  retainers  killed  themselves  with  quiet 
dignity.  They  numbered  forty-seven,  but  forty-eight  upright  stones 
are  seen  by  the  traveller.  The  Satsuma  man,  in  repentant  sorrow,  com- 
mitted hara-kiri,  and  was  buried  with  the  Ronins. 

Returning  home,  I  had  tiffin,  and  then  went  to  the  chrysanthemum 
show.     This   was  indeed  a  curious  sight.      There  was  a   narrow  street. 


IN   7 HE    TRACK  OF   THE  SUN. 


and  abutting  on  it  were  nuineious  gardens,  in  which  were  grottoes  and 
theatrical  stages,  some  of  whicii  revolved  as  they  do  in  the  Japanese 
theatres.     On  these  were  arranged,  in  a   representation   of  historical  or 


Chrvsa}itht-viuiii   iina^^e^,   Kioto. 


fabulous  scenes,  lay  figures,  whose  clothing  was  composed  of  growing 
chrysanthemums.  For  instance,  in  one  place  there  was  a  daimio  being 
dragged  off  a  horse  by  the  devil — all  the  figures  being  of  life-size,  and 
fashioned  in  growing  flowers.  I  also  saw  a  choice  collection  of  the 
miniature  trees  that  are  peculiar  to  Japan.  I  take  the  description  from 
an  excellent  authority  : 


Pagoda  at  Ueno. 


THE  CHRYSAXTHEMUM  SHOW.  33 


"Japan  is  the  home  of  the  best  varieties  of  chrysanthemums,  as  it  is 
of  the  dwarf  orange  tree,  and  of  oaks  a  century  old  in  six-inch  pots. 
The  highest  distinction  the  Mikado  can  confer  upon  any  of  his  subjects 
is  the  decoration  of  the  chrysanthemum.  The  chrysanthemum  is  also 
the  royal  seal,  and  for  centuries  has  been  esteemed  and  loved  by  the 
people,  nobles,  and  commons.  When  we  think  of  the  slow  growth  of 
varieties  in  garden  flowers,  how  long  the  single  rose  must  have  been 
cultivated,  and  variations  noted  and  fostered,  before  we  had  the  immense 
full  double  sorts  now  known,  we  must  believe  that  it  is  centuries  since 
the  careful  Chinese  and  Japanese  gardeners  began  to  improve  the  chrys- 
anthemum from  the  little  single  flower  which  is  supposed  to  be  the 
original  of  all  the  varieties  now  in  cultivation. 

"  The  Japanese  guard  the  choicest  flowers  with  jealous  care,  and 
it  is  possible  that  varieties  are  carefully  cultivated  in  some  part  of  the 
empire  that  are  superior  to  those  known  to  Occidentals.  It  is  even 
believed  bv  travellers  that  in  some  part  of  either  China  or  Japan 
exists  that  fabulous  flower,  the  blue  chrysanthemum.  Chrysanthe- 
mums of  blue  are  figured  on  old  porcelain  and  mentioned  in  written 
works." 

Miss  Scidmore,  in  her  book,  "Jinrikisha  Days  in  Japan,"  says 
that  in  the  house  of  the  head  man  of  the  village  of  Kawana,  the  pos- 
sessor of  a  wonderful  collection  of  chrysanthemums,  she  was  given  a 
salad  made  from  the  petals  of  yellow  chrysanthemums.  It  is  also 
said  that  the  Japanese  put  the  petals  of  the  flower  into  the  sake  cup 
to  prolong  life  and  keep  free  from  misfortunes.  It  is  possible  that 
the  resinous  quality  of  the  flower  has  some  hidden  virtue  not  gener- 
ally known. 

Leaving  the  chrysanthemum  show,  we  proceeded  to  Ueno  Park,  a 
lovely  spot,  and  visited  the  Museum,  where  I  saw  the  ancient  bullock- 
cart  and  palanquins  that  were  formerly  used  by  the  Mikados.  These 
vehicles  are  made  of  richly  ornamented  ebony,  and  hung  with  curtains 
designed  to  prevent  any  one  from  seeing  the  august  occupants,  who 
were  considered  sacred  and  worshipped  as  gods.     Even  at  present  the 

6 


34 


TN    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


Mikado  is  regarded  with  devout  vftieration  by  the  adherents  of  Shinto- 
ism,  he  being  the  head  of  their  religion,  in  much  the  same  relation  as 
that  of  the  Czar  to  the  Russian  Church. 

There  were  many  other  curiosities  to  be  seen,  of  various  kinds ; 
among  them  the  relics  of  the  Christians  who  here  underwent  martyrdom 
in  the  seventeenth  century.     Passing  from  these  to   the  zoological  de- 


Cherry  blossoms  at   IJeno  Park 


partment,  we  pursued  our  way  to  Asakusa  to  see  its  temples  and  the 
park,  comprising,  in  our  trip,  in  catholic  impartiality,  a  number  of  shows 
of  jugglery,  acrobats,  and  performing  dogs. 

Crossing  on  our  way  the  Great  River,  we  returned  to  the  hotel,  and 
after  dinner  resumed  jinrikishas,  tandem  this  time,  and  set  out  for  a  tour 
around  the  city,  passing  through  Yoshiwara,  where  there  are  innumerable 
bagnios  inhabited  by  several  thousand  women.      Some   of  their  estab- 


/OURXEV    TO  N/A'KO. 


35 


lishments  are  like  enormous  hotels,  four  stories  high,  and  with  a  frontage 
of  a  hundred  feet  on  the  street. 

Thursday  morning,  at  8.50,  \vc  took  up  our  course  for  Nikko.  The 
country  on  each  side  seemed  to  be  rich  and  well  tilled,  producing  tea, 
mulberry  trees,  and,  of  course,  a  deal  of  rice.  Around  helds  dotted  with 
the  invariably  thatched  cottages  are  fences  of  bamboo,  or  hedges;  and 
in  all  tlirections  spread  the  splendid  cryptomeria  trees.  We  arrived  at 
our  destination  in  the  afternoon  at  two  o'clock. 


A  Japanest'  ganii: 


iy';//,iiiitf/i;/iftv,a/ytJ.i\v.iiiiii''!(^-i'j 

Japanese  idols. 


CHAPTER    III. 


i^iT^.r. 


IN    JAPAN. 


HE  Japanese  have  a  proverb,  "He  who  has  not 
seen  Nikko  must  not  say  Kekko"  (splendid, 
magnificent).  If  the  temples  of  Tokio  call  forth 
admiration,  those  of  Nikko  will  evoke  more. 
No  place  in  Japan  has  so  impressive  an  appear- 
ance as  Nikko.  Two  stately  avenues,  arched 
by  the  wonderful  cryptomeria  trees,  lead  toward 
the  town  from  different  directions.  One  of  these 
avenues,  thirty  miles  long,  was  originally  used  by 
the  Mikado's  envoy  on  his  way  from  Kioto  to  pay  homage  at  the 
shrine.  Here  are  the  tombs  of  two  mighty  rulers,  leyasu  and  lyemitsu. 
leyasu,  the  first  Shogun  of  the  Tokugawa  family,  was  by  a  strange 
coincidence  a  contemporary  of  Oliver  Cromwell,  and,  like  him,  he 
changed  an  empire  and  crystallized  a  government.  leyasu's  govern- 
ment was  more  enduring  than  the  great  Protector's ;  it  lasted  two 
hundred  and  fifty  years,  leyasu  being  ably  succeeded  bv  his  grandson, 
whose  tomb  is  also  in  this  place.  We  stand  in  silent  wonder  before 
the  beautiful  lacquerwork  and  lifelike  carvings  of  birds  and  foliage  cut 
from  wood. 

On  Friday  morning  I  went  early  to  the  temples,  which  are  near  the 
Nikko  Hotel,  and  carefully  examined  them  all.  The  grounds  in  which 
they   are   situated  are  almost  the  finest  I    have  ever   seen,  and  around 


THE   WOXDERS  OF  XIKKO. 


17 


these  on  all  sides  grow  the  noble  cryptomeria  trees.  The  temples  are 
far  more  elaborate  than  those  which  I  so  much  admired  in  Shiba  Park. 
The  carvings  are  marvellous,  and  the  different  kinds  of  lacquer  aston- 
ishingly beautiful.  To  reproduce  them,  if  such  a  thing  were  possible, 
would  cost  many  millions  of  dollars. 

The  temple  used  as  the  stable  of  the  sacred  white  pony  Jimme  was 
curious  as  well  as  interesting.     At  one  time,  so   I   was  told,  more  than 


Stable    ■'/"  Ihc    idcird  -.■Iiitc  pony. 

three  thousand  priests  were  employed  here,  Buddhist  and  Shinto. 
Now  there  are  but  fifty.  The  interest  in  religious  matters  seems  to  be 
dying  out  to  a  great  extent,  and  among  the  educated  class  are  manv 
agnostics  and  atheists.  The  argument  of  the  Japanese  in  favour  of  their 
present  religion  is  difficult  to  answer.  They  acknowledge  the  good 
points  of  Christianity,  but   claim  that  all   religions  are  good   in   theory. 


38  IN    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


and  that  to  estimate  them  ritjhtly  it  is  iiLccssary  to  iiivcstioate  their 
effect  on  the  people.  They  say,  and  with  undoubted  truth,  that  in 
Christian  countries  there  is  much  more  vice,  drunkenness,  discontent,  and 
misery  than  in  Japan  ;  therefore,  to  judge  from  the  results,  it  is  inex- 
pedient to  change.  The  Japanese  are  friendly  to  the  Christian  religion; 
they  do  not  attempt  to  persecute  converts  to  Christianity  or  to  inter- 
fere with  them,  and  indeed  are  entirely  free  from  bigotry  and  intoler- 
ance. In  this  respect  their  example  to  the  missionaries  should  be  good. 
They  are  an  amiable,  polite,  and  contented  people  ;  and  are  certainly  the 
cleanliest  of  all  nationalities.  A  curious  old  Buddhist  proverb  says : 
"  A  woman's  exterior  is  that  of  a  saint,  but  her  heart  is  that  of  a  demon." 
This,  I  am  sure,  is  untrue  as  regards  the  modern  women  of  Japan.  They 
are  apparently  all  that  can  be  desired. 

I  believe  that  under  the  law  women  have  more  rights  at  present  in 
Japan  than  in  any  European  country.  In  former  times  they  were  prac- 
tically the  property  of  their  husbands.  They  have  one  hardship  to  con- 
tend with,  though,  if  no  other.  At  night,  instead  of  a  pillow,  a  little 
wooden  box  serves  as  a  prop  for  their  necks  and  heads,  to  prevent  the 
disarrangement  of  their  hair,  which  is  dressed  very  elaborately  and  but 
once  a  week. 

Coming  out,  after  tiffin,  on  the  veranda  of  the  hotel,  on  this  same 
day,  we  found  a  number  of  dealers  in  curios  and  furs,  with  their  goods 
displayed,  in  hopes  of  effecting  sales  to  the  guests.  This  is  the  principal 
fur-producing  part  of  Japan,  and  fine,  well-tanned  beaver,  otter,  marten, 
antelope,  and  monkey  skins  can  be  bought  for  ridiculously  low  prices. 
For  instance,  a  dollar  and  a  quarter  (about  equal  to  an  American  dollar) 
will  buy  a  handsome  beaver  skin,  and  a  fine  otter  skin  can  be  had  for 
four  dollars. 

We  took  jinrikishas  and  went  to  Kamman-go-fuchi,  on  the  river 
Daiyagawa,  which  is  here  a  boiling  mountain  stream.  The  place  is 
lovely  in  its  scenery,  surrounded  in  all  directions  by  the  Nikkozan 
Mountains.  Rising  by  the  riverside,  straight  out  of  a  deep  pool,  is  a 
rock  bearing    a    Sanscrit    inscription.      Tradition    declares    that    Kobo- 


is 

■5 


FURS.— THE  IMAGES  OF  AM/DA.— BATHS. 


39 


Daishi  once  threw  his  pen  across  the  river,  and  by  this  pen  the  inscrip- 
tion was  miraculously  graven  on  the  ruck.  On  the  bank  of  the  river 
also  stands  a  long  row  of  images  of  Amida.  It  is  impossible,  so  it  is 
said,  to  count  these  images  correctly. 

We    visited    Dainichi-do,  where    are    a    lieautiful    garden,    miniature 
lake,  and  tea-house.     Taking  another  way  back,  we  passed  two  curious 


The  images  of  Amida. 

little  mills  for  grinding  rice  and  barley.  The  flume  of  eacii  was  about 
two  feet  wide,  and  the  wheel  was  something  smaller  than  a  good-sized 
cart  wheel. 

At  Yumoto  are  ten  hot  springs,  some  in  the  open  air  and  others  in 
bath-houses.  Thev  are  0|)en  to  all,  and  men  and  women  go  in  together, 
entirely  naked,  without  the  least  thought  of  impropriety.  Tlie  Japanese 
are  inveterate  splashers.     Thev  all  take  a  hot  bath  everv  morning.     The 

7 


40 


IN    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SU\. 


water  is  almost  at  the  boiling-point,  hut  they  seem  to  he  able  to  stand 
it.  Each  house  has  a  wooden  box  in  the  Hoor,  which  answers  for  the 
bath-tub,  and  the  family  get  in,  each  member  in  succession,  without 
changing  the  water. 

The  manager  of  the  Nikko  Hotel  informed  me  that  he  had  spent  five 
years  in  the  United   States — two  at  Rutgers  College,  and  three  in  San 


/ii/autst'  ,i^irls. 


Francisco  in  the  employ  of  the  Chicago  and  Northwestern  Railway. 
From  him  I  received  considerable  information  in  regard  to  the  railway 
system  of  Japan.     The  railways  are  mainly  owned  by  the  Government, 


■^ 


Co 


VISIT    TO   LAKE  CHU ZENJI.  41 

althoug^h  some  branch  lines  are  owned  by  companies.  They  are  narrow- 
gauge,  tiie  stations  being  after  tlie  French  and  German  fashion.  The 
rate  of  speed  is  only  about  twenty  miles  an  hour,  but  everything  apper- 
taining to  them  is  managed  remarkably  well. 

Friday  was  a  warm  and  lovely  November  day.  It  was  just  one 
month  since  1  had  left  New  York,  now  eight  thousand  miles  distant.  At 
8.30  we  set  out  with  tandem  jinrikishas  for  Lake  Chuzenji.  Our  way 
lay  along  the  side  of  a  small,  swift  stream,  at  the  bottom  of  a  deep 
ravine,  with  mountains  towering  overhead,  and  soon  we  were  climbing 
the  mountain  side.  The  path  was  steep,  but  in  good  condition. 
Annually  during  August  it  is  trodden  by  about  twenty  thousand 
pilgrims  on  their  way  to  shrines  and  sacred  images  on  the  top  of 
Nantai-zan,  a  steep  mountain  near  the  lake.  We  stopped  at  several 
tea-houses  to  rest  the  men,  and  partook  of  tea  and  queer-looking  lolly- 
pops.  At  one  of  them  I  saw  several  bird-cages,  each  with  a  solitary 
occupant.  On  the  outside  of  its  cage  was  a  small  stick  serving  for  a 
perch,  covered  with  an  adhesive  gum.  The  bird  in  the  cage  attracted 
his  fellows  of  the  trees  to  alight  upon  the  perch,  where  their  feet  would 
stick  so  tightly  that  the  flutterers  could  be  caught  with  ease.  There 
are  many  women  in  these  mountains  who  continue  the  old  practice  of 
blackening  their  teeth  immediately  after  marriage.  But  this  fashion, 
which  transforms  a  good-looking  woman  into  a  hag,  is  rapidly  waning. 
Near  Lake  Chuzenji  are  copper  mines,  and  we  met  many  horses 
loaded  with  the  ingots.  These  horses  arc  without  metal  on  their  feet, 
which  are  shod  only  with  straw.  Resuming  our  course,  we  went  down 
a  steep  declivity  into  a  superb  gorge,  to  look  at  the  beautiful  Kegon- 
no-taki  Falls,  in  which  there  is  one  drop  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet. 
We  arrived  soon  afterward  at  Lake  Chuzenji.  There  we  went  for 
tiffin  to  a  tea-house,  where  I  was  served  with  a  j)iece  of  excellent 
salmon,  nicelv  fried,  good  bread  and  butter,  some  fruit,  and  a  cup  of 
sake,  the  only  alcoholic  liciuor  made  or  used  by  the  natives.  Unlike 
wine,  brandv,  and  whisky,  it  is  considered  better  when  quite  new.  It 
is  a    brew   of  rice,   and   the   Japanese   serve  it   hot  at  the  beginning   of 


42 


IN   THE    TRACK'  OF    THE  SUN. 


dinner.  The  best  quality  is  exceedingly  pleasant  to  the  taste.  It  re- 
sembles a  very  light  dry  sherry  or  manzanilla.  That  which  I  had  at 
Chuzenji   I  found  especially  good.     I   have  wondered  if  the  diet  of  the 


Idol  al  Nikko. 


Japanese  has  not  had  an  influence  on  their  dispositions.  They  live 
almost  entirely  on  vegetables,  with  a  few  fish  or  eggs  occasionally  ;  meat 
they  virtually  never  touch.  They  are  mild-mannered,  polite,  orderly,  and 
clean,  and  they  have  a  great  regard  for  the  rights  of  others.  In  habits, 
the  people  most  directly  their  opposite  are  the  English,  who  eat  enor- 
mous quantities  of  meat  and  drink  largely  of  spirits,  and  who  are,  as 
every  one  knows,  great  bullies,  both  individually  and  as  a  nation.  It  is 
fortunate  for  the  Japanese  that  they  have  reached  a  point  in  civilization 
where  it  is  not  likely  that  England,  France,  or  Russia  can  seize  their 
country  on  some  flimsy  pretext,  as  might  have  been  done  years  ago. 


RETURN   TO    TOKIO. 


43 


My  table  was  spread  on  the  pretty  little  veranda  of  the  paper-sided 
tea-house,  which  is  directly  on  the  lake.  The  lake  is  small,  but  very 
picturesque,  surrounded  with  sharp-peaked  hills  densely  covered  to  the 
water's  edge  with  foliage,  of  which  the  autumn  tints  vied  with  anything 
on  Lake  George  or  the  Hudson  River.  My  day  of  excursion  to 
Chuzenji  will  always  dwell  in  my  memory  as  a  most  charming  one. 
We  returned  to  the  hotel  in  about  half  the  time  that  we  had  occupied 
in  going,  and  I  had  an  opportunity  to  revisit  the  wonderful  temples 
before  four  o'clock,  the  hour  at  which  the  gates  are  closed. 

On  Sunday,  at  7.20,  a  frosty  but  fine  morning,  we  left  Nikko  and 
returned  to  Tokio,  arriving  at  the  Imperial   Hotel  at  about  i  p.m. 


Japanese  lady  in  c/iair. 


At  tiffin  the  son  of  the  late  deposed  Tycoon  was  present,  dressed 
like  a  European  sfentleman.  His  private  fortune  is  large,  but  he  is 
shorn    of   all    political    power.       It    must    seem    strange    to    the    older 


44  IN   THE    TRACK  OF   THE  SUN. 


Japanese,  who  remember  the  condition  of  affairs  before  any  innovations 
arose  in  their  country,  to  see  the  Mikado,  and  him  who  should  have 
been  the  Tycoon — princely  personages,  all  of  whose  ancestors  were  once 
esteemed  as  sacred — acting  and  dressing  like  Europeans.  Matters  have 
changed  indeed  in  Japan.  It  is  as  if  the  Pope  should  put  on  a  tweed 
suit  and  go  to  the  Derby,  or  dance  the  cotillion  at  a  ball.  In  Tokio  I 
saw,  among  other  curious  things,  gold-fish  with  fluted  tails  and  the 
remarkable  Tasa  chickens,  in  the  museum.  One  of  these  chickens  had 
tail-feathers  eighteen  feet  long. 

I  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  a  Union  Club  man,  Mr.  W.  Stanard 
Wood,  who  was  making  a  tour  of  the  world  with  his  bride. 

Having  rested  awhile  at  the  hotel,  I  went  again  to  Asakusa.  Here 
are  some  remarkable  temples,  but  after  Nikko  they  did  not  impress  me 
as  when  I  saw  them  first.  In  one  that  we  entered  eight  Buddhist 
priests  were  holding  a  service  for  the  repose  of  the  souls  of  those 
killed  in  the  recent  earthquake.  I  could  not  but  notice  a  close  resem- 
blance to  the  accessories  of  Christian  church  service — in  the  chancel, 
altar,  incense,  and  lighted  candles,  in  the  golden  flowers  in  vases,  in  the 
tollinff  of  the  bell  for  all  to  bow  their  heads,  in  the  bending  of  the  knees 
as  the  worshippers  passed  the  altar,  in  the  sing-song  voices  of  the  priests, 
and,  I  may  add,  in  the  congregation  itself,  almost  entirely  composed  of 
old  women  on  their  knees  telling  their  beads. 

When  I  discovered  the  object  of  the  service  I  sent  my  guide  with  a 
contribution  of  five  yen  (S3.67),  which  delighted  both  priests  and  wor- 
shippers. They  sent  me  a  receipt,  in  Japanese,  and  the  man  who  occu- 
pied the  position  equivalent  to  that  of  sexton  brought  us  two  chairs 
and  some  tea-cakes  and  candied  fruit  for  our  refreshment ;  and  when 
we  left  several  of  the  congregation  came  down  the  steps  and  made  us 
profound  obeisances. 

We  then  went  into  the  Asakusa  Koenchi  or  public  park  that  sur- 
rounds the  temple.  Here  are  to  be  found  all  sorts  of  tea-houses,  restau- 
rants, shops  for  the  sale  of  cheap  toys  and  confectionery,  jugglers,  and 
other  shows  too  many  to  name.     The  spectacle  reminded  me  somewhat 


Kvro  at  Nikko. 


A   STRANGE  PHENOMENON. 


45 


of  the  Prater  in  Vienna  on  a  Sunday  afternoon.  We  did  not  tarry  lontr ; 
the  crowd  was  great,  and  I  had  already  been  through  the  place  pretty 
thoroughly.  We  returned  through  the  Ginza,  the  Oxford  Street  or 
Broadway  of  Tokio. 

On  Monday  morning  I  left  Tokio  at  9.30,  reaching  Yokohama  in 
less  than  an  hour,  and  again  put  up  at  the  Grand  Hotel.  On  the  train 
thither  a  brakeman  rushed 
in  and  closed  all  the  blinds 
on  one  side  of  the  car.  On 
inquiry  I  was  informed  that 
the  Empress  Dowager  was 
passing  in  another  train. 

Immediately  on  our 
alighting  at  the  hotel,  Oha- 
shi,  the  guide,  was  informed 
that  his  wife  that  morning 
had  given  birth  to  a  child. 
He  was  quite  upset  at  the 
tidings  of  this  blessing.  The 
little  visitant  was  not  indeed 
unexpected,  but  as  Ohashi 
already  had  four  infants  to 
support,  the  latest  comer 
was  not  as  welcome  as  his 
first-born  had  been.  How- 
ever, on  learning  that  it  was 
a  boy  Ohashi's  spirits  revived  somewhat ;  and  in  view  of  the  circum- 
stances I  gave  him  two  days  to  set  matters  right  in  his  household. 

A  strange  phenomenon  was  called  to  my  attention  ;  it  seems  that 
the  seeds  in  the  persimmon  are  upside  down  this  year.  The  old  peo- 
ple say  this  was  so  thirty-seven  years  ago,  the  time  of  the  great  earth- 
quake. It  seems  certainly  convenient  that  a  terrible  upheaval  of  nature 
should  be  foretold  in  this  unmistakable  way. 


F.  M.   Haiichiyo,  profcssioiml  taliwr. 


46  IN   THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


After  tiffin  I  went  to  the  studio  of  F.  M.  Harichiyo  and  selected  a 
design  of  a  dragon  to  be  tattooed  on  my  arm.  He  began  operations 
at  2  p.  M.  and  continued  working  rapidly  until  i  a.  m.,  with  an  intermis- 
sion of  only  one  hour  for  dinner — ten  hours  of  steady  work  from  high 
daylight  until  past  midnight.  It  was  very  painful,  as  each  puncture 
of  the  skin  brought  blood;  but  tiie  result  was  most  satisfactory.  Tues- 
day I  spent  in  resting  quietlv,  and  recuperating  from  the  effects  of  the 
tattooing. 

On  Wednesday  morning  I  bade  farewell  to  Yokohama  and  took  the 
train  to  Fuji-sawa,  going  thence  bv  jinrikisha  to  the  temple  of  Hachi- 
man,  and  also  to  the  Daibutzu  or  Great  Buddha.  This  remarkable 
statue  stands  in  grounds  beautifully  laid  out.  Its  height  is  nearly  fifty 
feet,  the  thumb  being  three  feet  in  circumference.  The  eyes  are  of 
gold,  and  the  rest  of  the  image  is  constructed  of  bronze  plate  about 
an  inch  thick.  A  door  leads  into  the  interior  of  the  statue,  which 
contains  a  shrine.  Formerly  a  temple  stood  adjacent  to  the  image. 
This  temple  was  destroyed  by  a  tidal  wave  in  1369.  It  was  rebuilt, 
and  was  again  destroyed  by  the  same  agency  in  1494,  and  has  not  been 
reconstructed. 

We  went  to  the  Temple  of  Kwannon,  which  is  on  an  eminence 
overlooking  the  sea.  Here  is  a  huge  miage  thirty  feet  high,  carved 
from  one  camphor-wood  tree.  It  is  inside  the  temple,  and  in  darkness 
until  the  attendant  priest  lights  a  few  candles,  and  with  a  small  rope 
attached  to  the  roof  hoists  up  the  visitor  that  he  may  see  the  lacquering 
of  the  figure. 

We  went  thence  to  the  Kaihai-in  Hotel  at  Kamakura,  which  is 
directly  on  the  seashore,  and  in  summer  is  a  popular  bathing  resort. 
We  had  tiffin,  and  then  wended  our  way  along  the  edge  of  the  sea  to 
Enoshima,  a  lovely,  picturesque  island,  which  when  the  tide  is  out  is 
connected  with  the  mainland  in  much  the  same  manner  as  is  Mount- 
Saint-Michel,  in  France ;  but  here,  instead  of  a  solid  causeway,  like  that 
at  Mount-Saint-Michel,  there  is  a  long  plank  walk,  supported  on  bam- 
boo poles,  which  is  recurrently  washed  away.     Enoshima  is  accessible  in 


"ALL   MODERN  CONVENLEA'CES." 


47 


all  directions  by  means  of  narrow  paths,  and  the  walk  and  steps  on  the 
way  to  the  celebrated  cavern  are  cut  out  of  solid  rock. 

This  cave  is  nearly  four  hundred  feet   in    depth,  and  the  sea  flows 

into  it.     At  the  extreme  end  is  a  Shinto  temple,  and  the  priest  lighted 

us    through    the    dark    passage.      Returning    to    the 

station,  we  went    by  train   to  Rozu,  and   from  that 

'^%~«"-  point  to  Yumoto,  a  journey  of  about  an   liour 

and  a  half  by  tram  car.     On  alighting,  I  took 

-^  «*».-  jinrikishas  for   Miyanoshita. 

It  was  quite  dark  when 
we  arrived,  and  the  first 


view  of  the  Fuji-ya 
Hotel  was  startling, 
as  its  sides  are  all 
of  glass,  and  they 
were  ablaze  with 
electric  lights.  The 
visitor  to  Japan  is 
still  imperfectly  pre- 
pared to  encounter 
all  its  modern  con- 
veniences. 

In  the  morning 
I  had  a  splendid 
bath  in  water  from 
the       natural       hot 

springs.     Every  adjunct  of  the  bath  room  was  neat  and  satisfactory,  and 
the  bath,  though  very  hot,  was  very  enjoyable. 

One  thing  is  peculiarly  pleasant  to  the  traveller  in  Japan  :  there  are 
none  of  those  exasperating  extra  charges  for  lights,  candles,  attendants, 
linen,  fires,  etc.,  which  in  a  European  trip  goad  the  victim  to  frenzy,  the 


Cave  at  Enoshima. 


48 


IN   THE    TRACK  OF   THE  SUN. 


ostensible  "  main  "  charges  being  only  one  tentacle  on  the  radiates  of  an 
octopus. 

I  left  the  hotel  at  8.30,  with  Ohashi,  and  in  chairs,  on  the  shoulders  of 
two  coolies,  we  proceeded  up  the  mountain.  In  some  places  the  ascent 
was  very  difficult ;  but  the  men,  although  small  and  without  the  appear- 
ance of  strength,  carried  us  up  seemingly  with  perfect  ease.     At  exactly 


Famous  iiiitural  baths,   Miyatu'shita. 

1 1.45,  in  cool,  bright,  and  clear  sunshine,  we  arrived  at  the  top  of  Oto- 
metoge,  or  Virgin's  Pass,  where  the  view  of  the  sacred  mountain  Fusi- 
yama  was  perfect.  It  showed  itself  in  its  full  grandeur,  and  opposite 
the  mighty  cone  the  silver  waters  of  Lake  Hakone,  in  the  beautiful 
valley,  and  the  steam  from  the  boiling  springs  of  Ojigoku  were  dis- 
tinctly discernible. 

We   spent  more  than  an    hour  here,  and   took  tiflfin,  which  we  had 
brought    with    us,    adding    to    it    some    tea,    obtained     from    the    little 


•V, 


(^ 


A    COUNTRY  OF  SURPRISES.  49 

nest-built  house  that  has  been  placed  at  this  spot  for  the  use  of 
travellers. 

At  one  tea-house  I  was  surprised — so  far  was  it  up  the  mountain 
side,  and  away  from  any  settlement — to  see  eight  boys  and  girls  about 
eight  years  old  each  with  a  small  baby  strapped  to  the  back,  in  the 
Japanese  fashion.  The  parents  were  busy  in  the  mountain  side,  and  had 
brought  their  children  up  with  them.  Among  the  poor  the  house- 
mother continually  fastens  one  child  on  the  shoulders  of  its  little  brother 
or  sister,  who  carries  the  baby  thus  all  day,  a|)parently  with  uncomplain- 
ing philosophy.  About  four  o'clock  we  got  back  to  Miyanoshita,  and 
walked  through  the  village,  in  which  are  many  shops.  We  looked  into 
one  of  the  Japanese  bath-houses.  Here  were  sixteen  people,  all  naked, 
sitting  in  the  hot  water — men,  women,  and  some  small  children — while 
more  people — an  old  woman,  a  little  girl,  and  two  boys — were  just  about 
crowding  themselves  into  the  bath-box  in  the  floor.  The  quaint,  slant- 
eyed,  amiable  bathers  were  undisturbed  by  the  presence  of  a  spectator  at 
the  open  door.  In  the  evening,  before  going  to  bed,  I  received  a 
shampooing  in  mv  room,  at  the  hands  of  a  blind  old  woman  with  a 
close-shaven  head.  It  seemed  strange  at  first,  but  so,  at  first,  does 
everything. 

On  Friday  morning,  November  20th,  we  retraced  our  course,  going 
in  jinrikishas  to  Yumoto,  there  taking  the  tram-car  to  Kozu  and  its 
railway  station,  and  thence  the  cars  for  Shizuoka,  where  we  went  to 
the  Daito-Kwan  Hotel.  No  English  was  spoken  in  this  house.  The 
country  along  the  route  is  fine,  rich  land,  and  it  is  irrigated,  in  common 
with  a  great  part  of  Japan,  for  the  cultivation  of  rice.  Tea  and  rice  are 
produced  here  too.  To  us  in  the  United  States,  where  irrigation  is  in 
its  beginning,  an  investigation  of  the  Japanese  system  by  competent 
persons  would,  I  should  think,  be  of  great  value. 

We  passed  near  the  base  of  Fusiyama,  which  looked  imposing.  The 
mountain's  height  is  said  to  be  fourteen  thousand  feet ;  in  summer  it 
is  comparatively  easy  of  ascent,  but  in  November  the  snow  is  too 
deep. 


50 


IN   THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


The  interior  of  the  hotel  at  Shizuoka  was  arranged  as  is  usual  in 
Japanese  houses,  the  whole  floor  being  divided  into  innumerable  rooms 
by  means  of  panels,  which  can  be  removed  to  leave  larger  compart- 
ments, or  to  throw  the  whole  floor  into  one  room.  These  panels  have 
no  locks  or  fastenings  of  any  kind,  so  that  it  is  possible  to  walk  into 
an  adjoining  room  without  difficulty.  This,  however,  it  seems,  is  never 
done,  being  forbidden  by  some  unwritten  law. 

We  set  out  from  Shizuoka  by  train  at  6  a.  m.  for  Nagoya.  The 
country  between  these   towns  is  perfectly   flat,  with   mountains  on  one 


side  and  the  sea  on  the  other.  It  was  entirely  devoted  to  farming,  but, 
as  is  the  case  everywhere  in  Japan,  one  sees  few  domestic  animals,  the 
natives  making  no  use  of  sheep,  pigs,  or  cattle  for  food.  A  few  horses 
are  visible  in  some  localities,  ploughing  and  carrying  packs.     Bullocks 


A.y  ENCOUNTER   WITH  AN  EARTHilUAKE.  51 

also  are  sometimes  employed  in  the  same  way.  The  feeling  still  pre- 
vails that  an  animal  may  contain  the  soul  of  some  ancestor  or  friend. 
But  manv  black  bullocks — controlled  by  wooden  rings  in  the  nose, 
which  seem  to  hold  them  securely — are  used  in  the  vicinity  of  Kioto  to 
draw  queer-looking  carts. 

At  12.35  r.  M.  on  Saturday,  November  21st,  we  arrived  at  Nagoya. 
()n  all  sides  were  evidences  of  the  terrible  earthquake  that  had  taken 
place  so  recentl}' — the  ground  cracked  open,  many  houses  entirely 
thrown  to  the  ground,  others  partially  wrecked,  and  man\'  that  were 
standing  propped  up  with  poles.  We  went  to  the  Shinachu  Hotel,  a 
semi- European  house,  which  was  comparatively  uninjured,  but  all  the 
environment  was  a  scene  of  devastation.  Shocks  still  continued  every 
day,  and  I  felt  one  that  afternoon.  On  October  28th,  the  day  when  the 
great  damage  was  done,  the  earth  rose  and  fell  eighteen  inches.  Many 
people  were  killed,  and  the  terror  of  the  inhabitants  beggars  description. 

In  the  afternoon  I  went  out  in  a  jinrikisha,  saw  the  castle  and  the 
two  beautiful  golden  dolphins  on  the  top  of  a  pagoda-like  tower,  and 
visited  a  temple  and  a  manufactory  of  porcelain  and  cloisonne,  where 
I  was  much  interested  in  the  curious  processes  employed.  At  eleven 
o'clock  that  night  I  was  roused  from  sleep  with  a  start.  A  smart  shock 
of  earthquake  had  awakened  me.  The  disturbance  soon  ceased,  without 
damage  to  the  hotel,  which  was  propped  up  outside  with  long  poles. 

On  Sunday  morning,  November  22d,we  left  Nagoya  with  four  jinrik- 
ishas  ;  one  for  myself,  one  for  my  guide,  and  the  othcx-s  for  my  luggage, 
each  of  the  four  being  drawn  by  two  men.  We  took  our  course  through 
the  city,  and  then  followed  the  old  Tokaido  road.  Again  our  way 
lay  amid  ruins.  The  road  was  almost  impassable  in  some  places  on 
account  of  earthquake  cracks,  some  of  them  several  feet  wide.  We 
brought  our  food  with  us,  and  stopped  for  tiffin  at  a  tea-house  that 
had  been  re-erected  on  its  old  site.  So  on  we  crossed  Kisogawa  River 
in  a  large  flat-boat,  taking  the  jinrikishas  with  us. 

On  the  opposite  shore  a  small  village  had  been  entirely  destroyed. 
Nothing  was  left,  for  its  debris  had  taken  fire  after  the  shock. 


Japanese  dancing-girls. 


CHAPTER   IV. 


FARf:WELL    TO    JAPAN. 


three  o'clock  we  arrived  at  Gifu,  the  centre  of 
the  earthquake  district.  We  left  our  luggage  at 
the  Tsuno-Kuni-ya  Hotel,  and  with  the  same  men 
as  before  —  for  they  did  not  seem  in  the  least 
fatigued  after  their  run  of  twenty -five  miles — we 
made  a  tour  of  the  city,  in  one  part  of  which  the 
house -owners  were  diligently  rebuilding  homes 
that  had  been  ctjnsumed  by  fire.  Great  distress 
exists  throughout  tiiis  part  of  the  country,  for  the  people  in  many 
instances  have  lost  everything  except  what  they  had  on  their  persons. 
One  of  the  customary  sights  of  Gifu  is  the  fishing  with  cormorants. 
We  went  to  see  these  birds,  but  1  found  to  my  regret  that  they  had 
all  been  sent  up  the  Nagara,  out  of  harm's  way. 

Returning  to  the  hotel,  I  found  it  to  be  exclusively  in  the  "Japanese 
style,"  and  was  obliged  to  take  off  my  shoes  and  put  on  slippers  before 


S 

is 

<3 


S. 


EARTHQUAKE  SCENES.  S3 


■entering.  A  room  in  a  littk-  wooden  pavilion  in  the  garden  was  assigned 
to  me.  There  were  but  two  rooms,  both  on  the  ground,  so  that  it  was 
possible  to  vacate  them  speedily  in  case  of  a  shock.  The  house  was 
as  clean  as  possible,  with  sliding  paper  panels,  which  in  summer  perhaps 
are  comfortable,  but  are  decidedly  cool  at  night  in  November.  We 
had  brought  cold  chicken,  beef,  bread,  beer,  etc.,  and  with  the  addition  of 
boiled  eggs  and  rice  1  had  a  good  dinner.  At  about  8.30  p.  m.  all  the 
Japanese  turned  in,  and  1  followed  suit.  Bedding  was  laid  on  the  floor, 
with  two  thick  "  comfortables  "  for  covering.  The  ensuing  hours  were 
not  wholly  pleasant,  however,  for  mv  Japanese  neighbours  kept  u])  an 
incessant  talking  all  night,  and  in  addition  to  this  there  was  one  tremen- 
dous shock  of  earthquake,  which  demolished  the  few  tottering  houses 
that  had  remained  standing,  and  several  lesser  throes  occurred.  There 
was  but  one  bath-tub  and  one  wash-bowl  for  the  hotel,  and  the  guests, 
except  me,  all  got  into  this  tul)  without  changing  the  water.  I  con- 
tented myself  with  the  use  of  the  wash-bowl,  having  warm  water  which 
was  clean. 

On  Mondav,  at  8.30  .\.  m.,  we  resumed  our  journey,  in  jinrikishas. 
The  scene  of  desolation  and  destruction  through  which  we  passed  was 
even  more  terrible  than  on  the  previous  day.  In  some  places  the  road 
was  almost  impassable  for  the  huge  holes  and  cracks  left  by  the  earth- 
quake. In  front  of  the  mins  were  little  notices  telling  the  number  of 
deaths  in  each  house.*  At  one  place  we  stopped  to  see  a  Japanese  doc- 
tor treating  the  w^ounded,  assisted  by  two  Japanese  nurses  dressed  in 
white,  with  caps  on  which  were  red  Genevan  crosses.  We  readied 
Ozaki  at  i  1.15  a.  m.,  in  time  to  take  the  train  that  was  aliout  to  start  for 
Kioto.  The  railway  station  at  Ozaki  and  the  whiile  village  were  in 
ruins,  but  beyond  that  point  the  evidences  of  seismal  convulsions  came 
suddenly  to  an  end.     At  Tarui,  two  or  three  miles  from  Ozaki,  there 


*  •'  Our  hopes  that  the  distressed  districts  had  escaped  the  shocks  of  earthquake  experienced 
here  during  the  past  few  days  have  not.  we  regret  to  say,  been  realized,  for  a  telegram  from  Gifu 
states  that  strong  shocks  were  felt  on  Sunday  night,  bringing  down  many  of  the  partially  demol- 
ished buildings.     Poor  Gifu  I  "—Japan  Gazfttc.  Xovembcr  24,  rSgi. 


10 


54 


I  A    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SU\. 


A.^ 


A  jinrikisha. 


was  no  sign  whatever  of  the  upheaval  that  had  done  such  deadly  work 
behind  us.  The  train  took  us  into  an  excellent  agricultural  country, 
especially  on  the  border  of  Lake  Biwa.     Otsu,  through  which  wc  passed, 

is  famous  for  its  giant  pine  tree, 
which  I  saw  later,  and  is  also 
notable  as  the  place  where  an 
insane  policeman  attempted  the 
life  of  the  czarewitch  on  May 
II,  1 89 1. 

We  arrived  at  Kioto  about 
3.30  p.  M.,  and  went  at  once  to 
the  Kioto  Hotel,  a  large  one, 
well  kept  in  European  style, 
where  I  found  a  pleasant  bed- 
room and  parlour.  At  dinner, 
bamboo  sprouts  (and  1  found 
them  excellent)  were  among  the  vegetables.  It  was  a  national  fete 
day,  and  the  streets  through  which  1  went  in  the  evening  were  adorned 
with  paper  lanterns. 

On  Tuesday  morning,  November  2d,  a  bright  and  sunny  day,  we  set 
out,  as  usual,  at  8.30,  in  jinrikishas,  with  two  men  to  each,  for  the  Rapids 
of  Katsuragowa.  After  leaving  Kioto  we  went  along  a  mountain  road 
amidst  lovely  sceneiy,  passed  through  a  long  tunnel,  and  thence  down- 
ward to  Hozu,  where  we  began  the  descent  of  the  rapids.  There  was 
ready  for  us  a  skiff  about  forty  feet  long,  managed  by  four  men,  to  whom 
we  added  our  party  of  six,  taking  the  jinrikishas  with  us.  The  bed  of 
the  river  is  rocky,  and  it  was  wonderful  with  what  skill  the  boatmen 
guided  us  down  the  swift  current.  The  descent  required  just  two  hours. 
The  scenery  is  beautiful.  On  both  sides,  for  about  thirteen  miles,  extend 
steep  hills,  the  habitat  of  many  large  monkeys.  At  1.30  we  reached 
Arashi-yama.  Here  we  landed  and  went  to  a  pleasant  tea  house,  and  I 
partook  of  the  tiffin  I  had  brought  from  Kioto. 

The  Japanese  have  an  excellent  and  inexpensive  way  of  banking  up 


KIOTO  AND  ITS    TEMPLES.  55 

the  sides  of  rivers  by  means  of  open-work  baskets  of  split  bamboo  about 
one  hundred  feet  long,  which  are  filled  with  stones  taken  from  the  river. 
By  laying  one  of  these  baskets  on  another  the  artisans  construct  a  strong 
wall,  at  much  less  outlay  than  for  an  equal  mass  of  stone  and  cement, 
especially  a  subaqueous  one. 

After  dinner    I    visited  a  Japanese  theatre,  and    saw    some  curious 
dancing.     The  dancers,  wearing  very  rich  and  handsome    dresses,  kept 
time,  in  slow  and  graceful  move- 
ments, to  the  music  of  flutes,  gui-  m^^^ 
tars,  and  small  drums,  played  by  \^M'         » 

I  devoted  to  the  sights  of  Kioto.  ;'^^^^^l^^^»« 

The  various  temples  are  large  and  '^^^^^^Smml^^W       .^-- 

quer  on  the  outside  makes  them     1l^mSm^^^^^^^SSSmBSs0'' 
appear   at    disadvantage    in    com-  If 

parison  with  those  at   Nikko  and  ^  r„;iar-A/au-r 

Tokio.      I    ascended    the    Yasaka 

Pagoda,  which  is  the  highest  in  the  country,  and  from  its  top  I  had 
a  splendid  view  of  the  city.  The  great  Buddha  or  Daibutsu  here  I  also 
visited.  It  is  a  huge  wooden  image,  but  not  so  fine  as  the  one  at 
Kama-Kura.  It  w^as  festival  day  at  the  Shinto  temples,  being  the  25th 
of  the  month,  and  at  one  of  these  I  stopped  and  witnessed  the  func- 
tions in  which  about  twenty-five  priests,  dressed  in  white  and  light 
blue,  with  black  mitres,  received  presents  of  fish,  fruit,  poultry,  and 
vegetables  from  the  people. 

At  Kurodani  I  was  shown  two  pine  trees  whose  branches  are  so 
trained  out  on  bamboo  poles  that  one  of  them  looks  like  a  fan  and  the 
other  like  an  umbrella.  The  cemetery  adjoining  this  temple  is  very 
beautiful  and  commands  a  splendid  view.  In  visiting  these  superb  and 
costly  religious  structures,  which  it  has  cost  so  much  money  for  ages  to 
erect  and  to  maintain,  I  could  not,  in  admiring  their  beauties,  lose  the 


56  IN    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SIW. 


sense  of  the  enormous  waste  of  expenditure.  That  this  money  might 
better  have  been  used  for  the  people's  education  and  elevation  than  in 
honourini^  the  gods  of  the  heathen  imagination,  is  an  Occidental  and 
modern  idea.     Japan,  however,  is  becoming  modernized. 

The  palace  of  the  Mikado  1  viewed,  of  course.  The  buildings  are 
enclosed  with  a  high  wall,  and  the  surroundings,  with  the  view  of  the 
mountains,  are  very  beautiful.  The  interior  of  the  palace  is  extremely 
plain,  and  entirely  Japanese  in  arrangement.  I  visited  also  several 
manufactories  of  silk,  porcelain,  and  embroidery. 

On  Thursday  I  continued  mv  visits  to  the  temples,  going  first  to  the 
Higashi  Hongwanji,  which  is  in  process  of  building.  It  is  a  renewal, 
the  former  temple  having  been  destroyed  by  fire  in  1864.  The  present 
edifice — the  only  instance  of  modern  temple  building  that  I  have  wit- 
nessed— will  be  the  largest  and  probably  the  handsomest  in  all  Japan. 
Several  million  dollars  have  been  expended  already  in  the  construction 
of  this  pile.  Labour  upon  it  was  begun  about  twenty  years  ago,  and 
much  more  mav  be  required  before  it  is  finished.  The  funds  have  been 
raised  by  voluntary  subscription,  mostly  from  the  lower  classes — an  indica- 
tion that  Buddhism  in  Japan  has  some  vitality  still.  On  the  front  of  the 
temple  1  saw  a  huge  coil  of  rope  as  large  as  the  hawser  of  a  ship,  made 
entirely  of  human  hair,  which  had  been  cut  off  by  numberless  women  and 
given  to  make  this  strand.  I  visited  also  Nishi  Hongwanji,  the  head- 
quarters of  the  particular  sect  of  Buddhists  for  whom  the  temple  is 
reared.  Its  buildings  are  solid  and  substantially  constructed,  and  the  in- 
terior is  expensively  and  elaborately  decorated.  A  big  umbrella-like 
tree  in  one  of  the  courtyards  is  supposed  to  be  a  protection  against  fire ; 
and  according  to  popular  superstition,  in  case  the  temple  should  become 
ignited,  this  tree  would  discharge  water  on  the  fire,  wherever  it  might  be, 
in  sufficient  quantity  to  extinguish  the  flames. 

1  paid  another  visit  to  manufactories  of  jjorcclain,  cloisonne,  and 
iron.     The  iron  work  inlaid  with  gold  is  particularly  beautiful. 

I  met  wending  its  way  through  tiie  streets  a  funeral  procession  which 
interested  me  greatly.      In  separate  jinrikishas  came  first  two  Buddhist 


^ 

;:^ 


LAKE  BIIVA.  57 


priests  dressed  in  liandsome  roi)cs  and  with  their  shaved  heads  bare. 
The  bodv  of  the  deceased,  in  a  sitting  posture,  was  enclosed  in  a  lac- 
quered open-work  box  carried  on  poles  supported  by  the  shoulders  of 
two  coolies.  Following  were  the  family  and  friends  who  accompanied 
the  bodv  to  the  place  where  it  was  cremated. 

This  incident  suggested  a  visit  to  the  crematory,  which  I  made  in 
the  afternoon.  It  was  near  the  top  of  a  high  hill,  some  distance  from 
the  town,  in  a  beautiful  spot  entirely  surrounded  by  a  growth  of  small 
trees.  Here  were  a  temple  and  a  large  white  building  containing  about 
a  dozen  brick  ovens — if  I  may  be  allowed  to  call  them  so — as  receptacles 
for  the  bodies.  \\\n\  tloors  are  attached  at  either  end.  The  fuel  is  put 
in  position  under  the  grating  that  holds  the  corpse,  and  also  at  each 
end,  and  surrounding  it  is  placed  cord-wood.  The  fire  is  then  lighted  and 
kept  burning  vigorously  for  si.x  hours,  when  the  bones  and  ashes  that 
remain  are  removed  by  relatives  and  deposited  in  the  cemetery.  Everv- 
thing  about  the  crematory  was  in  good  condition,  and  the  attendants 
were  well-behaved.  On  my  way  home  I  purchased  some  seeds  of  the 
mammoth  turnips  so  much  cultivated  in  Jajjan,  and  sent  them  to  Colo- 
nel J.  Lion  Gardiner,  of  Gardiner's  Island,  that  he  might  try  them  on 
American  soil. 

On  Friday  morning,  November  27th,  I  found  on  my  way  to  the 
bath,  which  was  at  some  distance  from  my  hotel,  that  there  had  been  a 
considerable  fall  in  the  temperature,  and  thin  ice  had  formed.  The  day 
was  fine,  and  I  decided  to  go  by  jinrikisha  to  Lake  Biwa.  Setting  out 
about  nine  o'clock,  with  two  men  each,  we  arrived  at  tiie  Alinarai-tei 
Hotel  at  Otsu  at  10.30,  in  a  snow  flurry.  This  soon  passed  over,  and  I 
then  proceeded  down  the  shore  of  the  lake  to  Karasaki,  to  see  the  mam- 
moth sacred  pine.  This  enormous  tree  is  said  to  be  two  thousand  years 
old,  and  is  probably  the  largest  ami  most  curious  tree  of  its  species  in 
existence.  It  is  on  a  beautiful  point  of  land  jutting  out  into  the  lake, 
about  three  miles  from  Otsu.  The  branches  are  held  up  on  a  sort  of 
scaffolding  of  wood  and  stone,  and  some  of  them  trail  near  the  ground  in 
an  oversweep  of  nearly  three  hundred  feet. 


5« 


/.V    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SCX. 


The  view  from  the  obelisk  at  the  Temple  of  Miidera,  with  the  town 
below,  the  silvery  lake,  and  tiie  mountain  for  a  background,  is  a  liar- 
monious  and  peculiarly  lovely  picture.  Ishiyama-dera,  a  famous  monas- 
tery, is  also  an  interesting  spot  from  which  to  obtain  another  fine  view 
of  Lake  Biwa. 

After  this  sight-seeing  1  went  back  to  the  hotel,  and  after  tiffin  re- 
turned to  Kioto  in  time  for  dinner,  with  one   more  agreeable  day  in   my 


'I'hi'  teniplt'  '^roitiii/s,  Aaia. 


records.  Saturday  morning  I  left  Kioto  by  train,  arriving  at  Osaka 
about  noon,  and  went  at  once  to  the  Jiutei  Hotel,  which  is  pleasantly 
situated  on  the  river  bank  and  is  kept  in  semi-European  fashion.  Here 
I  had  tiffin,  and  then  went  out  with  Ohashi  in  a  jinrikisha  to  explore 
the  town. 


t^ 


DA.XCIXG-GIKLS  A  T  KARA.  ■  59 

Osaka  is  011  the  Yodogawa  River  and  is  intersected  by  numerous 
canals,  which  give  it  somewhat  the  appearance  of  Amsterdam.  I  vis- 
ited the  mint  and  several  temples,  and  from  the  pagoda  at  one  of  them — 
the  TennOji — -had  a  fine  view  of  the  city.  At  this  temple  also  may  be 
seen  the  curious  praying  machine — small  wooden  wheels,  each  revolu- 
tion of  which  counts  as  a  prayer. 

We  passed  the  castle  grounds,  enclosed  by  a  moat  and  a  high  stone 
wall.  The  castle,  which  was  burned  in  1868,  is  said  to  have  been  the 
finest  building  in  all  Japan.  Opposite  are  extensive  barracks.  We 
then  went  through  several  important  business  streets,  which  were  filled  in 
one  instance  with  jugglery  and  other  shows,  and  in  another  with  hand- 
some theatres  and  excellent  shops. 

On  Sunday  morning,  November  29th,  at  8.30,  we  took  the  train  for 
Nara.  I  found  this  to  be  an  exceptionally  beautiful  place.  Arriving  at 
about  10.30,  we  took  jinrikishas  and  went  first  to  the  Kusuga-no-Miya 
temple.  On  the  way  we  passed  many  shops  containing  the  specialties 
of  the  place — India  ink,  toys,  and  sword-canes.  On  entering  the  tem- 
ple grounds,  which  form  a  beautiful  park,  I  was  surprised  to  find  great 
numbers  of  deer;  their  perfect  tameness  was  shown  in  the  little  roadside 
stands  where  cakes  are  sold  for  feeding  these  pets.  I  halted  and  bought 
some  of  the  cakes  for  a  few  cents,  and  immediately  a  dozen  deer  gath- 
ered about  me  to  be  fed. 

The  approach  to  the  temple  was  lined  with  lanterns  too  numerous  to 
count.  We  stopped  first  at  the  house  where  the  kagura,  an  ancient 
dance,  is  performed  by  young  girls.  Their  costume  comprised  red 
pantaloons  and  a  white  mantle.  The  hair  was  arranged  in  long  pigtails, 
and  a  curious  headdress  of  artificial  flowers  was  worn  on  their  foreheads. 
Their  faces  were  covered  with  a  thick  coating  of  white  powder.  The 
girls  while  dancing  held  first  a  fan  and  afterward  a  stick  with  bells 
attached.  Two  priests  and  an  old  woman  supplied  the  musical  accom- 
paniment, one  priest  singing  and  the  other  playing  on  a  flute,  while  the 
old  woman  joined  them  on  a  kind  of  harp. 

I    then  visited  the   Ni-gwatsu-dO  temple,  where  there  are  more  Ian- 


6o 


IK   THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


terns ;  but  here  they  are  all  made  of  brass.  The  object  that  most  inter- 
ested me  was  the  sacred  white  albino  pony,  standing  in  his  little  stable. 
Some  beans  were  on  sale  near  by,  for  the  satisfaction  of  any  one  who 
wished  to  bestow  a  gratuity  on  the  pony,  and  I  bought  a  quantity  and 
fed  them  to  him.  Like  Captain  Jinks's  horse,  he  seemed  accustomed  to 
that  fare.  I  then  went  to  see  the  Daibutsu  or  enormous  statue  of 
Buddha,  which  is  larger  than  the  one  at  Kama-Kura,  but  is  not  consid- 
ered so  fine.  This  image  is  under  cover  in  a  temple,  one  part  of  which 
is  arranged  as  a  sort  of  museum,  containing  many  images  of  hideous 
heathen  gods.  I  then  walked  up  Mikasa-yama,  whence  I  had  a  magnifi- 
cent view  of  the  surrounding  country.     There  are  many  cherry  trees, 

which  look  remarkably  fine  when  in  blossom 
in  the  spring.  These  do  not  bear  a  good 
variety  of  cherry,  however,  the  fruit  being 
small  and  unfit  for  food.  Many  fine  cam- 
phor trees  surround  the  temples.  We  went 
to  a  pleasant  little  hotel  and  had  our  tiffin, 
which  we  had  brought  with  us.  Returning 
then  to  Nara  and  its  hotel,  I  collected  my 
luggage  and  proceeded  to  the  station,  and 
boarded  the  train  for  Kobe,  where  I  arrived 
at  8  p.  M.,  and  went  to  the  Hotel  des  Colo- 
nies. 

Monday,  November  30th,  was  warm  and 
springlike.  I  spent  the  morning  in  looking 
at  the  town  and  in  going  on  board  the 
Verona,  of  the  Peninsular  and  Oriental  line, 
on  which  I  was  to  embark  the  next  day. 
There  are  many  handsome  foreign  residences  in  Kobe,  and  it  is  a  rival 
of  Yokohama  in  commercial  affairs.  In  the  afternoon,  in  company 
with  Ohashi,  my  guide,  I  took  a  long  jinrikisha  ride,  first  to  Nunobiki 
waterfalls.  There  are  two  of  these  falls,  one  called  the  "  male  fall  "  and 
the  other  the  "  female  fall,"  from  their  use  as  bathing  places  by  the  two 


Mead  of  god  ifi  Daibutsu  temple^ 
Nara. 


A   STROLL   LV  KOBE. 


6l 


Xunobiki  fail,  A'obt\ 


sexes.  Skirting  then  tiie  range  of  hills  back  of  Kobe,  we  went  on  until 
we  reached  Hiogo,  the  town  adjoining  Kobe.  Returning  along  the 
water,  we  had  a  near  view  of  the  ships  at  anchor — the  innumerable  Jap- 
anese junks  and  sampans. 

In  Kobe  mv  attention  was  called  to  two  curious  facts.  In  Japan 
mirrors  are  made  of  bronze  overlaid  with  highly  polished  tin  and  quick- 
silver. The  bronze  is  usually  handsomely  ornamented  with  designs  in 
rilicvo,  and  "  sunlight  retiected  from  their  face  displays  a  luminous  image 
of  the  design  of  their  back."  This  peculiarity  is  produced  by  the  meth- 
od used  in  polishing  the  mirror.  The  other  matter  is  the  remarkable 
Japanese  superstition  in  regard  to  foxes.  The  Japanese  believe  that  a 
fox  may  enter  a  person's  body  and  bewitch  him,  and  there  remain,  unless 
by  some  means  exorcised. 


62 


IN    THE    TRACK  OF   THE  SUN. 


On  Thursday,  December  3d,  in  the  morning,  I  amused  myself  walk- 
ing about  Kobe,  looking  at  the  shops,  going  to  the  club,  and  visiting  a 
sak^  distillery  some  little  distance  out  of  town.  At  four  o'clock  I  went 
on  board  the  steamship  Verona,  Captain  F.  H.  Seymour,  and  at  five 
o'clock  we  sailed  for  Nagasaki  and  Hong-Kong.  I  have  never  so  much 
regretted  leaving  any  country,  so  kindly  disposed,  refined,  and  polite  are 
the  Japanese,  and  so  pleasant  do  they  make  the  traveller's  stay.     On  the 


HyofiZi'   uii'i  a!    Hni^o. 

ship  I  met  several  of  my  fellow-passengers  of  the  Empress  of  India.  I 
had  a  fairly  good  cabin  in  the  middle  of  the  ship,  but  the  Verona  has  a 
rather  shabby,  worn-out  appearance  compared  with  an  Atlantic  liner. 

On  Wednesday  morning  I  got  up  before  daylight,  in  order  to  be  on 
deck  as  the  steamer  went  through  the  Narrows  between  Oshima  and 
Shikoku,  where  the  passage  is  less  than  a  hundred  yards  in  width,  with 
a  rapid  boiling  current. 

The  day  was  lovely,  warm,  and  sunny,  the  sea  as  smooth  as  a  mirror. 


A'AGASAk'I.  63 


and  ill  all  directions  junks  and  fishing-boats  were  to  be  seen.  At 
twelve  o'clock  we  passed  through  the  fortified  straits  of  Shimonoseki. 
The  channel  is  well  marked  by  lights  and  buoys,  for  the  lighthouse  sys- 
tem of  Japan  is  ecjual  to  any  in  the  world.  The  shores  on  both  sides 
were  dotted  with  villages  and  hamlets,  and  the  whole  effect  was  pictur- 
esque. 

It  took  about  one  hour  to  go  through  the  straits  and  into  the 
open  sea.  The  remainder  of  the  day  we  skirted  the  coast,  arriving  at 
Nagasaki  at  twelve  o'clock  that  night.  In  the  lowering  of  the  boat,  one 
of  the  sailors,  a  Chinaman,  fell  overboard  and  was  drowned.  Thursday 
morning  I  woke  up  to  find  myself  in  the  beautiful  harbour  of  Nagasaki. 
It  is  perfectly  landlocked,  and,  though  much  smaller,  is  not  unlike  the 
Golden  Gate  at  San  Francisco.  The  entrance  is  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  wide. 

On  one  side  of  the  channel  is  the  island  of  Pappenberg,  from  the 
cliffs  of  which,  three  hundred  years  ago,  many  thousands  of  Japanese 
Christians  were  thrown  down  and  killed  because  they  would  not 
renounce  their  religion. 

After  breakfast  I  took  a  gondola-like  sampan  and  went  ashore,  as  the 
Verona  was  to  occupy  the  dav  in  coaling.  I  went  first  to  pay  my  re- 
spects to  the  American  consul,  Dr.  Abercrombie,  but  unfortunately  he 
was  absent  at  Shanghai.  I  had  the  opportunity,  though,  of  seeing  some 
American  newspapers,  just  arrived.  The  American  consulate  is  beauti- 
fully situ  ited,  overlooking  the  town,  and  surrounded  by  a  terraced  gar- 
den filled  with  orange,  banana,  and  camellia  trees.  The  [lerson  in  charge 
of  the  office,  a  Portuguese,  treated  me  with  much  politeness,  which  a 
traveller  always  appreciates  when  he  visits  the  representative  of  his 
country  in  a  foreign  land. 

1  then  took  a  jinrikisha  and  visited  a  number  of  shops,  where  beau- 
tifully carved  tortoise  shell  is  sold  at  very  low  prices.  On  my  way  to 
the  Belle-Vue  Hotel — a  French  establishment  where  I  took  tiffin — I 
stopped  at  the  Osuwa  Temple  to  see  the  famous  bronze  horse  that 
stands  in  the  courtyard,  and  noticed  that   in   Nagasaki,  as  elsewhere  in 


64 


/A-    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


Japan,  there  are  large  numbers  of  cats.  But  these  differ  from  the  com- 
mon cat  of  America  and  Europe,  in  having  a  short  tail  something  like 
that  of  a  rabbit.  After  tiffin  I  went  on  board  the  Verona  again,  and  at 
5  p.  M.  we  set  sail  for  Hong-Kong. 

In  every  respect  my  visit  to  Japan  was  successful.  1  can  even  say,  as 
very  few  travellers  can,  that  I  had  but  one  rainy  day  while  travelling 
through  the  "  Land  of  the  Rising  Sun." 


Japanese  i^iyls. 


PLasure  l>oat,    Canion. 


CHAPTER   V. 


VISIT    TO    CHINA. 


EAVING  Nagasaki  harbour  on  Tliursday  afternoon, 
December  3d,  we  were  soon  admonished  that  a 
terrific  gale  was  blowing  outside.  It  increased, 
too,  and  the  ensuing  night  was  the  most  uncom- 
fortable that  I  have  ever  spent  at  sea.  The 
Verona  rolled  so  that  I  could  hardly  keep  my- 
self in  my  berth,  even  bv  holding  on  with  both 
hands.  Sleep,  of  course,  was  impossible,  espe- 
cially as  the  sea  had  broken  in  one  of  the  sky- 
lights on  deck,  and  torrents  of  water  were  rushing  through  the  pas- 
sage in  front  of  my  door.  At  one  time  the  captain  hove  the  ship  to, 
as  it  was  impossible  to  proceed.  The  gale  continued  for  about  thirty 
hours,  after  which  it  gradually  subsided,  and  by  Saturday  morning  the 
water  was  quite  smooth  again. 

Mr.  James  A.  Melville,  ot   Edinburgh,  Scotland,  whom    1   had  first 
met  at  Vancouver,  and  afterward  frequently  in  Japan,  I   found  a  most 


66  IN   THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUX. 

intelligent  and  agreeable  companion.  He  and  Dr.  Barbour  were  on  a 
commission,  upon  which  they  had  been  sent  by  the  Free  Church  of 
Scotland,  to  examine  the  missionary  fields  in  Amoy,  China,  and  For- 
mosa, and  to  report  upon  them.  Mr.  Melville  also  undertook  the  task 
of  writing  letters  on  his  travels  to  the  Edinburgh  Scotsman,  the  Mont- 
real Star,  and  the  Melbourne  Argus.  These  letters  were  most  clever 
productions. 

On  Saturday  the  water  was  smooth  and  the  air  warm  and  pleasant. 
The  spirits  of  the  passengers  by  dinner-time  had  fairly  revived,  and 
they  were  beginning  to  forget  their  awful  experience  of  the  day  before. 
Sunday,  December  6th,  the  weather  continued  good,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing we  sighted  land.  It  was  our  first  view  of  the  Celestial  Empire. 
We  were  passing  through  the  channel  separating  the  island  of  For- 
mosa from  the  mainland,  and  the  sea  remained  smooth  although  we 
were  running  before  the  monsoon,  which  was  blowing  hard. 

Monday  morning,  going  on  deck,  I  found  we  were  passing  a  curi- 
ous peak-shaped  rock  directly  in  the  channel,  which  was  without  light- 
house or  bell  to  warn  mariners  in  a  fog  of  its  existence.  The  captain 
said  it  was  the  terror  of  navigators  in  these  waters.  Its  distance  from 
Hong-Kong  is  only  fifty-four  miles,  and  it  is  surprising  that  no  beacon 
has  been  placed  there. 

The  coast  of  China  was  plainly  discernible,  the  shore  being  a  suc- 
cession of  sharp-pointed  hills.  Numerous  fishing-junks  were  busy  in 
all  directions.  They  are  quite  different  from  the  Japanese  boats,  and 
are  built  so  as  to  trim  very  low  at  the  bow.  The  sail  is  usually  made 
of  matting. 

Hong-Kong,  which  means  "  Fragrant  Stream,"  is  an  island  about 
eleven  miles  long  and  from  two  to  five  miles  broad,  and  has  an  excel- 
lent harbour,  which  presents  an  animated  appearance.  It  is  a  British 
colony  with  a  garrison,  and  the  red  coat  of  Tommy  Atkins  adds  to 
the  picturesqueness  of  the  streets.  The  police  are  all  tall,  dark-skinned 
Sikhs,  dressed  in  blue  coats  and  red  turbans  and  carrying  clubs.  They 
are  brought  here  from  India  to  act  in  their  constabulary  capacity.     The 


i^ 


ARRIVAL   AT  HOXG-A'OXG. 


67 


city  is  officially  known  as  Victoria,  although  the  name  is  seldom  used 
in  ordinary  parlance.  It  is  magnificently  situated,  the  houses,  which  are 
large  and  solid,  rising  tier  upon  tier  to  the  top  of  the  hill. 

Victoria  Peak,  above  the  town,  commands  a  splendid  prospect.  At 
I  p.  M.  the  \erona  made  fast  to  her  buoy,  and  shortly  afterward  we 
were  transported  to  the  praya  or  quay  in  a  steam  launch,  and  went  at 
once  to  the  Hong-Kong  Hotel.  It  was  difficult  for  me  to  realize 
that   I   was  indeed  in   Far  Cathay.     Here,  to  my  great  delight,  I  found 


Thi  flagstaff  at  Victoria  Peak,  Hong-Kong. 

letters  from  home,  which  I  read  with  avidity.  Having  written  my  re- 
plies so  that  they  might  go  in  the  steamer  sailing  on  the  morrow  for 
Vancouver,  I  began  to  make  inquiries.  I  learned  that  the  hurricane 
we  encountered  at  sea  had  swept  over  Hong-Hong,  destroying  sev- 
eral ships  and  about  three  hundred  sampans  and  junks,  and  causing 
the  death  of  nearly  a  thousand  Chinamen.  These  hurricanes  and 
typhoons  are  of  frequent  occurrence,  and  at  times  produce  awful 
calamities. 


6S  IN   THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


At  5  p.  M.  I  took  a  jinrikisha  to  the  steamboat  Fatshan,  bound  for 
Canton.  This  boat  was  built  of  steel,  at  Leith,  Scotland,  on  the  plan  of 
a  Long  Island  Sound  steamboat,  and  is  a  splendid  craft.  We  entered 
the  Canton  or  Pearl  River  at  5.30 ;  the  air  was  balmy,  and  the  sun  was 
setting  in  a  golden  cloud,  which  made  the  prospect  most  beautiful. 

It  seems  that  the  pigtail  that  is  worn  universally  by  all  classes  of 
Chinamen  is  a  token  of  subjection  to  the  Emperor  Kwang-Hsu.  When 
the  present  dynasty,  the  Ta-Tsing,  which  is  Tartar,  came  into  power  by 
conquest  in  1644,  it  decreed  that  all  the  men  of  the  country,  of  what- 
ever degree  or  rank,  should  wear  the  pigtail  to  show  their  loyalty  ; 
and  this  custom  has  been  continued  ever  since.  In  some  localities  the 
Roman  Catholic  monks  and  priests,  with  strange  inconsistency,  have 
adopted  the  costume  of  the  country  and  also  the  pigtail,  thinking 
thereby  to  get  the  good  will  and  confidence  of  the  Chinese.  But  this 
has  not  prevented  attacks  upon  them  ;  indeed,  it  has  made  them  more 
odious  to  some  of  the  natives.  The  Protestant  missionaries  of  the 
China  Inland  Mission  have  also  adopted  the  native  dress. 

English-speaking  people  use  pigeon  English — a  sort  of  mixture  of 
English,  Portuguese,  and  Chinese — almost  entirely,  in  communicating 
with  the  lower  classes  at  Hong-Kong.  Some  of  the  phrases  are  quite 
extraordinary  ;  for  instance,  the  lord  bishop  is  designated  as  "  Number 
One  top-side  heaven  pigeon  man."  "  Missa  Craigie  gottee  one  piecee 
small  cow  chile  "  conveys  the  information  that  Mrs.  Craigie  has  pre- 
sented her  husband  with  a  daughter. 

The  Chinese  women  of  the  higher  classes,  although  they  do  not 
cover  their  faces  like  the  women  of  Turkey,  will  not  permit  them- 
selves to  be  seen  in  public,  always  going  about  in  closed  palanquins. 
In  fact,  one  sees  but  few  of  the  women  with  the  small  feet ;  for  in 
China  women  of  the  poorest  and  lowest  caste  have  feet  of  the  natu- 
ral size,  and  they,  of  course,  are  the  ones  most  seen. 

On  Tuesday,  December  8th,  we  arrived  at  Canton  at  6.30  a.  m. 
Such  a  sight  I  could  never  have  imagined  as  presented  itself  when  I 
went  on  deck.     The  water  was  covered  with  boats  of  all  sizes.     In  the 


'-n 


•feo 


CANTON.  69 


middle  of  the  stream  were  Chinese  gunboats — some  built  in  European 
style,  others  the  old-fashioned  junks — an  American  man-of-war,  and 
many  foreign  merchant  ships,  while  on  the  sides  of  the  river  was  a 
swarm  of  sampans.  Several  hundred  thousand  of  the  population  of 
Canton  live  in  these  boats.  For  generations  Chinese  have  been  born, 
have  lived,  and  have  died  on  a  sampan — a  feature  of  life  that  can 
hardly  be  found  elsewhere.  Soon  after  breakfast  I  engaged  Ah  Cum, 
Jr.,  as  guide,  and  we  set  out  in  chairs  to  see  the  town,  each  with  three 
coolies.  The  streets  are  very  narrow,  the  widest  not  being  more  than 
ten  feet  from  house  to  house. 

The  houses  are  substantially  built  of  brick  and  stone,  and  the  streets 
are  paved  with  long  slabs  of  granite.  We  first  visited  factories  where 
embroidery  and  ivory  carving  were  done,  where  jewellerv  was  fashioned 
of  silver  inlaid  with  the  feathers  of  the  kingfisher,  and  where  jade  cut- 
ting was  artistically  executed.  We  then  proceeded  to  the  temple  of  the 
five  hundred  Buddhas.  This  was  not  especially  noticeable  after  those 
of  Japan,  but  I  was  interested  to  see  the  image  of  Marco  Polo  pointed 
out  among  the  five  hundred.  Of  another  Buddha  the  gilding  was  all 
worn  off  the  belly,  the  result  of  its  being  rubbed  by  women  unable  to 
bear  children,  who  hoped  to  propitiate  the  gods,  that  their  curse,  as 
they  consider  it,  might  be  removed. 

We  then  stopped  at  a  butcher's  shop  that  dealt  exclusively  in  the 
flesh  of  cats,  dogs,  and  rats,  which  the  lower  classes  eat  with  seeming 
relish.  A  black  cat  or  dog  brings  a  much  higher  price  than  one  of  an- 
other colour,  as  its  meat  is  considered  more  nourishing.  Along  the  nar- 
row streets  we  met  several  horrible  lepers. 

The  next  place  we  visited  was  the  spot,  near  a  pottery,  where  crimi- 
nals are  beheaded.  The  ground  was  covered  with  blood  from  some 
recent  executions,  and  in  several  stone  jars  were  the  heads  of  the  cul- 
prits. We  also  saw  the  crosses  still  used  to  crucify  the  condemned, 
who,  when  crucified,  are  sliced  up  with  sharp  knives.  For  a  small  sum 
the  beheading  sword  was  brought  out  and  shown. 

Thence  we  went    to  the    Summer    Palace,    in  one  of  the  rooms  of 

13 


IN    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


which  I  had  my  tififin,  which  I  had  brought  with  me.  After  a  suitable 
rest  we  repaired  to  the  "  five-story  pagoda,"  so  called,  although  it  is 
not  a  pagoda  but  a  sort  of  lookout  set  on  the  city  wall ;  for  it  must 
be  noted  that  Canton  is  a  walled  town,  defended  with  curious  rusty  old 
cannon,  and  has  sixteen  gates.     The  view  from  the  pagoda  is  fine. 


Chinese    Tomb,   Canton, 


We  next  visited  the  Hall  of  Examination,  which  has  eleven  thou- 
sand six  hundred  and  sixteen  little  cells,  where  students  compete  tri- 
ennially  for  one  hundred  and  thirty  positions  of  the  second  literary  de- 
gree.    The  test,  as  one  can  understand,  is  terribly  severe. 

Pursuing  our  way  still  further,  we  visited  the  city  of  the  dead, 
where  bodies  are  kept  embalmed  until  their  final  resting  place  is  pre- 
pared. Here  dozens  of  brick  rooms  are  arranged  as  shrines  or  small 
temples,  and  behind  a  curtain  is  the  huge  coffin  containing  the  corpse 


f; 


TEMPLES  AND  PRISONS.  7 1 

of  some  mandarin  or  his  wife  or  his  children.  A  cup  of  tea  is  always 
there,  and  a  few  fresh  flowers. 

We  then  passed  on  to  the  flowery  or  nine-story  pagoda  (this  must 
not  be  confounded  with  the  "flowery  boats"  which  at  night,  when 
lighted,  present  such  a  gay  appearance,  and  which  are  the  habitation  of 
the  frail  women  of  Canton),  and  thence  went  to  the  mosque — for  a  large 
number  of  Chinamen  are  followers  of  Mahomet.  Going  to  the  pris- 
ons, we  saw  first  that  of  the  ordinary  thieves  and  vagabonds,  who  wear 
around  their  necks  a  square  piece  of  board  with  a  central  hole.  The 
board  is  opened  for  the  passage  of  the  head,  and  is  then  closed  for  the 
term  of  the  culprit's  sentence.  This  is  a  terribly  uncomfortable  thing 
to  sleep  with,  but  I  believe  the  unfortunates  get  accustomed  to  it.  The 
other  prisoners — murderers  and  pirates — seemed  to  have  an  easier  time, 
as  they  only  wore  shackles  on  their  feet.  We  stopped  next  to  see  the 
famous  water  clock,  as  it  is  called,  but  I  found  it  nothing  but  a  row  of 
four  iron  tubs,  from  one  to  another  of  which  the  water  dribbles  within 
a  certain  time,  after  the  manner  of  sand  in  an  hourglass. 

To  finish  the  day's  sights,  I  went  to  the  Temple  of  Confucius  and 
the  Honam  Temple,  where  I  viewed  the  Holy  Pigpen  containing  the 
sacred  swine.  These  animals  looked  and  acted  very  much  like  the 
original  hog,  and  were  certainly  no  cleaner  in  their  habits  than  their  less 
sanctified  brethren.  One  object  not  to  be  forgotten  was  the  Temple 
of  Horrors.  Here  are  small  wooden  figures  arranged  to  represent  the 
following  scenes : 

West  Side.  East  Side. 

1.  Transmigration.  i.  Sawing  a  man  between  boards. 

2.  Grinding  a  culprit.  2.  Transmigration. 

3.  Boiling  in  oil.  3.  Bastinado. 

4.  Under  the  red-hot  bell.  4.  Trial  of  a  criminal. 

5.  Beheading. 

After  four  o'clock  tea  at  the  Shameen  Hotel,  on  the  foreign  con- 
cession, I   returned  in  a  sampan  to  our  steamboat,  the  Fatshan,  in  order 


72  IX    THE    r/xACK  OF    THE   SUN. 


to  return  to  Hong-Kong  at  5  p.  m.  The  sampan  was  managed  by 
three  girls,  and  it  was  wonderful  with  what  skill  they  worked  their 
way  through  the  confused  mass  of  boats  of  all  descriptions  and  sizes. 
I  was  glad  to  have  seen  Canton,  yet  it  was  an  exjjerience  that  one 
would  not  wish  to  repeat  very  soon. 

As  we  passed  down  the  river  we  found  the  prominence  and  size  of 
the  French  Roman  Catholic  cathedral  very  striking.  It  is  the  most 
noticeable  object  in  the  approach  to  Canton  or  in  leaving  it.  I  am 
told  that  there  are  a  considerable  number  of  Catholics  there,  but  many 
people  doubt  the  sincerity  of  Chinese  Christians,  who  are  said  to  demand 
a  small  salary  to  remain  converted. 

I  sat  on  deck  until  it  was  almost  dark,  interested  in  the  varying 
scenes  presented,  rice  paddies,  high  hills,  fields  of  grain,  etc.  Finally  the 
bell  sounded  for  dinner,  a  meal  I  fully  appreciated  on  that  occasion,  and 
soon  after  it  I  went  to  bed,  tired  but  well  satisfied  with  my  day  in  a 
Chinese  city. 

On  Wednesday  morning  the  vessel  arrived  bright  and  earlv  at  Hong- 
Kong  ;  I  took  a  chair  to  the  Hong-Kong  Hotel,  and  secured  a  good 
room  facing  the  Queen's  Road.  After  breakfast  I  went  to  the  Public 
Gardens,  and  saw  a  large  India-rubber  tree  for  the  first  time;  thence, 
by  the  Bowen  Road,  to  the  Happy  Valley,  where  the  race-course  and 
the  Parsee  and  the  English  cemeteries  are,  returning  by  the  Queen's 
Road,  east.  The  scenery  along  the  whole  route  was  superb.  Bowen 
Road,  like  all  other  roads  on  the  Peak,  is  excellently  built ;  in  many 
places  it  is  walled  up,  and  in  others  fenced  for  long  distances  with  iron 
railings.  The  race-course  in  Happy  Valley  is  a  remarkably  level  spot, 
surrounded  by  high  hills  rising  abruptly.  I  should  think  the  meetings 
would  be  the  most  picturesque  of  any  under  the  Union  Jack.  The 
English  and  the  Parsees,  or  followers  of  Zoroaster,  have  adjoining  ceme- 
teries, both  of  which  are  exceptionally  beautiful.  Most  of  those  buried 
in  the  English  ground  were  soldiers  and  sailors  serving  tlieir  coimtry 
on  this  station. 

On  my  return  through  the  town   I   passed  the  barracks,  where  the 


^ 

b 


§ 


^      o 


ASCENT  OF  VICTORIA   PEAK. 


71 


Argvle  and  Sutherland  Highlanders  were  stationed.  In  their  uniform 
of  white  short  tunics  and  kilts  and  white  helmet  they  look  better  than 
when  wearing  the  full-dress  red  coat.  Hong-Kono-  is  a  well-arranged 
and  well-ordered  city;  those  in  authority  have  understood  how  to 
transform  a  barren,  rocky  island  into  a  handsome  town  with  bcautiiul 
suburbs.      How    often    in    the    United    States  is    the  reverse  tlie  case! 


The  Govirniiient  Ihvisc,  Hotig-Kong. 


How  often  are  places  that  nature    has   made    beautiful   marred  by  the 
hands  of  vulgarity  and  ignorance  in  control ! 

Returning  for  tiffin,  I  spent  a  little  time  in  shopping,  and  then  took 
the  tramway  to  the  Peak,  which  rises  eighteen  hundred  feet  above  the 
city  of  Victoria.  It  is  ascended  by  a  railway,  worked  by  a  stationary 
engine  after  the  fashion  of  those  on  the  Rigi  and  Mount  Pilatus.  On 
attaining  the  summit,  I  discovered,  to  my  surprise,  that  there  were 
14 


74  /A'    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 

splendid  villas  and  huge  hotels  upon  it,  all  built  in  the  most  expen- 
sive and  substantial  manner.  I  found  also  plenty  of  coolies  waiting 
with  chairs  for  the  accommodation  of  passengers. 

I  made  my  way  to  a  point  of  observation  above  the  Austin 
Hotel,  and  there  I  spent  two  hours  in  looking  at  the  marvellous  pic- 
ture spread  before  me.  Far  and  wide  the  sea  was  visible,  and  the  town 
and  shipping  had  a  toylike  appearance  that  was  very  attractive.  I  do 
not  think  I  have  ever  taken  a  birds'-eye  view  to  better  advantage. 
With  regret  I  left  this  scene  of  enchantment,  but  the  setting  sun 
warned  me  that  it  was  time  to  return. 

Arriving  at  the  end  of  the  tramway,  I  walked  back  to  town,  and  in 
passing  the  Anglican  cathedral  I  could  not  but  stop  to  admire  the  way 
in  which  seven  Chinese  lads  were  playing  shuttlecock  with  their  feet, 
the  cock  going  in  rotation  up  in  the  air  from  each  one  to  the  next. 
As  I  came  down  the  tramway,  I  might  add,  I  had  an  excellent  view 
of  the  reservoir,  and  in  the  distance  loomed  up  tlie  splendid  residence  of 
Mr.  Keswick,  head  of  the  firm  of  Jardinc,  Matheson  &  Co.,  the  richest 
commercial  house  of  China.  The  historical  American  house  of  Russell 
&  Co.  has  ceased  to  exist.  In  former  times  it  was  all-powerful  in  Hong- 
Kong,  and  many  young  American  gentlemen  came  out  and  made  their 
fortunes  in  its  employ.  The  methods  of  the  house  finally  became 
obsolete  and  expensive,  and  after  maintaining  a  precarious  existence 
for  some  years,  it  finally  succumbed  last  spring. 

Besides  the  island  of  Hong-Kong,  a  small  strip  of  land  called 
Kowloon,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  harbour,  belongs  to  the 
colonv.  Here  many  new  buildings  and  wharves  are  in  construction. 
This  settlement  adjoins  the  Chinese  Kowloon,  which  is  inhabited  by 
a  piratical  population.  At  this  Kowloon  occur  frequent  executions, 
which  many  persons  go  over  from  Hong-Kong  to  witness.  The 
prisoners  to  be  executed  are  placed  on  their  knees  in  a  row,  and 
the  executioner  is  assisted  by  a  man  who  holds  up  the  culprit's  queue, 
whereat  with  one  stroke  of  the  sword  the  head  is  completely  severed 
from  the   body  and  drops    on   the  ground,  while   the    trunk   falls    over 


RECEIVING  A    NEW  GOVERNOR.  75 


it.        It    is    considered    to  be    painless,   this    death   administered   by   the 
Chinese  sword. 

Thursday  morning,  December  loth,  on  looking  out,  I  found  the 
Queen's  Road  lined  with  Sikh  policemen,  and  on  inquiring  I  was  told 
that  the  new  governor  of  the  colony,  Sir  William  Robinson,  would 
land  from  the  steamship  Empress  of  Japan  at  eleven  o'clock.  At  that 
hour  all  was  excitement ;  a  guard  of  honour  from  the  Argyle  and 
Sutherland  Highlanders  was  stationed  at  the  landing-stage  to  receive 
the  approaching  executive  as  he  reached  the  shore ;  the  ships  of  war 
fired  a  salute,  and  the  regimental  band  played  the  national  anthem.  A 
broad  red  carpet  was  spread  for  the  governor's  use  in  stepping  from 
the  launch  to  the  shore.  Being  landed,  he  immediately  took  his  seat 
in  a  handsome  Sedan  chair  carried  by  a  dozen  coolies  habited  in  red 
blouses  and  hats  with  a  long  red  tassel  to  each.  He  was  followed  by 
his  family  in  other  chairs  and  by  the  representatives  of  the  civil  and 
military  authorities,  in  full  uniform,  and  passed  rapidly  through  the 
town  on  his  way  to  the  Government  House  farther  up  the  Peak. 

As  soon  as  the  military  had  disappeared  I  went  on  board  the  tender 
and  was  conveyed  to  the  Rosetta,  thirty-five  hundred  tons.  Captain  C. 
Gadd,  of  the  Peninsular  and  Oriental  line.  It  was  pleasant  to  find  that 
the  stewards  were  English,  for  since  visiting  China  I  had  taken  a  dislike 
to  the  Chinese.  The  sailors,  who  were  nearly  all  lascars,  wore  a  pictu- 
resque dress  of  white  cotton  with  red  turban.  Among  the  passengers 
were  eight  Parsees  returning  to  Bombav.  At  one  o'clock  the  engines 
began  to  move,  and  soon  we  had  passed  out  into  the  China  Sea  and 
were  running  before  a  light  monsoon.  I  noticed  a  Chinaman  on  board 
with  a  long  white  moustache,  an  unusual  sight,  and  was  informed  that 
this  appendage  showed  him  to  be  a  grandfather. 

Although  the  sea  was  comparatively  smooth,  our  ship  had  consider- 
able motion,  and  I  found  that  she  was  dubbed  by  the  sailors  the  Rolling 
Rose.  On  Friday  came  a  noticeable  change  in  the  temperature,  the  air 
growing  so  warm  and  oppressive  that  at  dinner  the  punkahs  were  set  in 
motion. 


76 


/X    THE    TRACK  OF   THE  SUN. 


The  Chinese  generally  travel  by  boat,  as  the  kingdom  is  intersected 
by  water-ways.  Where  the  natural  channels  fail,  a  canal  is  dug  to  piece 
out  the  highway.  They  care  nothing  about  speed — time  seems  of  no 
account — but  their  boats  hav^e  clean  and  comfortable  cabins.     The  junks 

of  the  officials  are  like  floating  homes. 
They  are  fitted  with  what  a  Chinaman 
would  call  every  convenience,  and  have 
a  small  army  of  rowers  and   polers  and 
towers.     The  flag  of  the  mandarin  floats 
at  every  masthead.     These  junks   have 
no   sail  except   one    that   can    be    lifted 
when    the  wind    is    direct    aft,  but    the 
travelling  boats  of  the  common  people 
carry    much    sail,    and    the    seamen    are 
expert  in  its  use.     They  are  also  more 
easily  towed,  as  they  are  light- 
er    in      construction.      They 
have    a    movable    deck,    and 
the   crew  sleep   in    the    place 
made   by  removing    it.     The 
sea-going  junks  are  large,  high 
at   both   ends,  and   square  at 
bow  and  stern.     On  the  stern 
is  painted  a  phoenix,  standing 
on   a   rock    in  midocean,  and 
at  the  bows  are  the  two  great, 
wide-open  eyes.     The  pigeon- 
English    explanation    of    the 
eyes    is,  "No  have   got    eye, 
how  can  see  1     No  can   see, 
how    can    savey } "     The    vessels    have    water-tight    compartments,  and 
carry    thousands    of    tons    of    cargo.       They    are    three-masted.      The 
sails  are  all  made  of  matting.     The   Chinese  spend  as  much   thought, 


•"tf- 


Flo'd>ey  pagoda.  Canton,  t"vo  thousand  three  hundred 
years  old. 


^ 


METHODS  OF    TRAVEL.  TJ 


with  a  fjreat  deal  more  in<jenuity  and  success,  upon  names  for  their 
craft  as  a  New  York  travelling  van.  Columbus  never  could  have 
originated  in  China ;  for  to  this  day  they  hug  the  shore  because  thev 
don't  know  how  to  take  observations  or  trust  solely  to  the  compass.  As 
a  consequence,  there  is  much  destruction  of  boats  and  of  the  lives 
of  sailors.  The  loss  is  the  greater  because  of  the  multitudes  of  people 
who  live  all  the  year  round  on  junks,  and  of  the  typhoons  that 
sweep  over  the  water.  The  population  that  inhabit  the  boats  are  not 
Chinese  proper,  but  descendants  of  an  earlier  race.  The  Cantonese  do 
not  allow  them  to  compete  at  their  schools,  or  marry  their  children,  and 
persecutions  are  frequent,  of  the  "  water-fowl,"  as  they  are  contempt- 
uously called.  Meantime,  regardless  of  the  light  in  which  it  is  looked 
upon,  a  taiika,  or  "  water-fowl  "  baby  lies  on  the  deck  of  its  father's 
junk  with  only  an  empty  gourd  tied  between  its  shoulders  to  keep  it 
afloat  a  while  if  it  tumbles  overboard. 

This  method  of  getting  about  by  water  must  save  the  native  a  great 
deal  of  discomfort,  for  the  roads  in  China  are  of  the  roughest,  and  are 
never  mended.  The  carts  have  no  springs,  and  the  passenger  sits  cross- 
legged.  Mules  are  generally  preferred  to  horses,  and  oxen  are  often 
employed  to  draw  private  carriages.  The  horse  is  an  importation  into 
China  ;  the  ancient  hieroglyphic  used  for  its  name  was  originally  made 
to  represent  a  donkey.  The  wheelbarrow  is  a  common  vehicle,  espe- 
cially in  northern  China.  It  is  propelled  by  men  or  by  one  man,  who 
often  pushes  two  people,  his  toil  assisted  by  a  sail,  which  is  moved  about 
with  the  wind.  The  wheel  is  placed  under  the  barrow.  Human  beings 
carry  tremendous  loads  in  their  carts,  so  cheap  is  such  labour  compared 
with  that  of  animals.  But  even  in  China  the  locomotive  is  beginning 
to  be  the  burden-carrier.  Where  the  once  magnificent  but  now 
neglected  highways  run,  there  is  much  ancient  work  that  could  be  made 
to  assist  the  engineer. 

Another   reason   why  a   traveller   who  would   study   the  customs   of 

China  would   prefer  to  travel  as   much   as  possible   by  water  is  that  the 

inns  are   terribly  dirty  and  uncomfortable,  while  on   the  boat  a  stove  is 
15 


78  IN   THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 

carried  so  that  his  food  can  be  cooked  and  served  in  his  decent 
cabin  or  on  deck.  If  the  traveller  wishes  to  live  as  the  Chinese  do,  he 
must  begin  by  learning  to  use  the  chop-stick,  although  it  seems  so 
evident  that  he  would  be  compelled  to  starve  before  this  was  accom- 
plished that  the  officials  and  others  who  entertain  "  foreign  devils  "  give 
them  knives  and  forks.  Mutton,  pork,  beef,  goat,  ducks,  wild  and 
domestic  fowl,  and  even  game,  are  used  ;  but  either  these  are  dear,  or 
the  taste  of  the  people  is  very  degenerate,  for  the  more  common  diet  is 
far  less  appetizing.  In  Canton,  the  poulterers  keep  dried  rats,  which 
sell  readily  because  they  are  liked,  and  also  because  they  cure  baldness, 
although  how  a  shaven-headed  people  find  that  out  it  is  not  easy  to 
tell.  Horse  flesh  is  also  sold  openly,  and  there  are  dog  and  cat  res- 
taurants. These  meats  are  fried  with  water  chestnuts  and  the  univer- 
sal garlic  and  oil.  Placards  sometimes  announce  to  the  hurried  passer 
— if  there  is  such  a  being  in  China — that  a  slice  of  black  cat  or  black 
dog  can  be  had  at  a  moment's  notice.  The  colour  makes  them  espe- 
cially nourishing.  On  a  particular  day  in  the  opening  of  the  hot  sea- 
son, dog's  meat  is  eaten  to  make  the  eater  impervious  to  heat  and  dis- 
ease. Dog  hams  are  a  luxury  only  attainable  by  the  rich.  Of  course 
rice  is  the  one  universal  diet,  although  it  is  absent  from  the  table  just  in 
proportion  to  the  ability  of  the  individual  to  buy  meat  or  fish.  Frogs 
form  a  common  dish  among  the  poor,  and  locusts  and  grasshoppers  are 
eaten.  The  former  are  fried  in  the  street  and  vended  from  the  curb- 
stone. Fish  of  all  kinds  are  relished.  Both  nets  and  lines  are  used  in 
catching  them.  The  cormorant  is  used  as  a  fisher  in  inland  lakes.  The 
rower  takes  his  raft  to  a  quiet  place,  ties  a  string  loosely  around  the 
bird,  pushes  it  off  into  the  water,  and  when  it  rises  with  its  prey,  throws 
a  landing  net  over  both.  Fish-breeding  is  carried  on  extensively. 
Oysters  and  mussels  are  eaten.  The  mussels  are  often  caught,  tiny 
images  of  Buddha  forced  into  their  shells,  and  thrown  back  into  the  pool, 
to  be  taken  out  later  covered  with  mother-of-pearl.  The  contrasted  bills 
of  fare  of  a  Canton  restaurant  and  a  Chinese  gentleman's  dinner  for 
guests  will   be  interesting. 


.-^    CHIXESE  BILL    OF  FARE.  79 

The  following  is  from  a  bill  of  flire  presented  at  a  restaurant : 
Cat's  flesh,  one  basin,  lo  cents.  Ketchup,  one  basin,  3  cash. 

Wine,  one  bottle,  3  cents.  Black  dog's  grease,  i  tael,  4  cents. 

Wine,  one  small  bottle,  i',4  cent.  Black  cat's  eyes,  one  pair,  4  cents. 

Congee,  one  basin,  2  cash. 

.\11  guests  dining  at  this  restaurant  are  requested  to  be  punctual  in  their  pay- 
ments. 

The  dinner  given  by  the  gentleman  consisted  of  these  dishes,  served 
in  courses  : 

Sharks'  fins,  with  crab  sauce.  Fried  slices  of  pheasant. 

Pigeons'  eggs  stewed  with  mushrooms.  Mushroom  broth. 
Sliced  sea-slugs  in  chicken  broth,  with  Dessert. 

ham.  Two     dishes     of    fried    pudding — one 
Wild  duck  with  Shan-Toong  cabbage.  sweet,  the  other  salt. 

Fried  fish.  Sweetened  duck. 

Lumps  of  pork  fat  fried  in  rice  flour.  Strips  of  boned  chicken  fried  in  oil. 

Stewed  lily  roots.  Boiled  fish  with  soy. 

Chicken  mashed  to  pulp  with  ham.  Lumps   of   parboiled   mutton,   fried   in 
Stewed  bamboo  shoots.  pork  fat. 

Stewed  shellfish. 

As  in  everything  else,  the  Chinese  are  most  provident  in  the  care 
of  their  fish  and  other  food  preserves,  which  makes  it  seem  all  the  more 
strange  that  they  make  no  use  whatever  of  the  milk  of  cows. 

The  appearance  of  a  Chinese  city,  seen  either  in  approaching  or  in 
leaving  it,  is  that  of  houses  having  almost  the  same  height  and  construc- 
tion, and  only  the  pagodas  and  palaces  give  variety.  The  pagodas  are 
generallv  built  of  brick,  and  are  five,  seven,  and  nine  or  more  stories  high 
always  an  uneven  number.  The  walls  are  double,  and  between  them  wind 
the  staircases  that  lead  to  the  summit.  At  each  story  arc  doorwajs. 
The  outer  wall  is  octagonal,  and  broken  by  the  projecting  roofs  of  tiles 
that  form  the  cover  of  each  story.  They  are  turned  up  at  the  corners,  and 
hung  with  bells.  The  Buddhist  pagodas  are  the  oldest  structures  in 
China,  but  the  remarkable  thing  about  Chinese  architecture  is  its  com- 
parative frailty.     Old  as  are  the  traditions  which  they  arc  intended  to  per- 


8o 


/iV    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


petuate,  the  tcntlike  form  and  delicate  fabric  forbid  them  to  survive  any 
great  lapse  of  time.  The  Confucian  temples  are  similar  in  structure  to 
those  built  for  relics  of  Buddha  or  for  the  remains  of  his  priests  and 
noble  worshippers.  The  law  compels  every  city  and  market  town  in 
the  empire  to  have  at  least  one  of  these  temples,  and  insists  that  it  shall 
have  three  courtyards,  one  behind  the  oth.er,  all  opening  to  the  south. 

There  is  a  semicircular  pond  in 
the  lower  end  of  the  courtyard, 
which  has  a  bridge  across  it,  but 
it  is  never  crossed  except  by  the 
emperor  and  the  chewaugk  yuens 
— those  who  have  won  that  high- 
est title  by  success  at  the  competi- 
tive examinations.  For  them  the 
southern  wall  is  pierced  by  a  gate- 
way, which  they  only  can  enter. 
Every  city  in  China  has  a  wall 
around  it,  on  which  are  fortified 
towers  and  battlements.  The  roofs 
of  the  houses,  which  are  the  most 


Flower  pagoda,    Canton,  recently  restored. 


^ 


a. 


HOME  LIFE  IN  CHINA.  8 1 

ornamental  part,  have  a  bright  appearance  from  the  colouring  of  the 
tiles.  Only  the  houses  of  certain  classes  are  allowed  to  have  glazed 
tiles,  and  yellow  is  a  favourite  colour  for  them.  But  as  fashion  dic- 
tates that  the  houses  of  the  rich  and  well-to-do  shall  have  a  high  wall 
surrounding 'them,  and  that  no  window  shall  look  outward,  the  stretch 
of  brick  is  only  broken  by  front  doors,  which  are  kept  scrupulously 
closed.  Screens  stand  inside,  at  a  little  distance,  to  protect  the  inte- 
rior in  case  necessity  or  carelessness  causes  the  gate  to  be  left  open. 
Behind  the  screen  is  a  courtyard,  on  either  side  of  which  are  the 
rooms  occupied  by  the  servants.  A  pa,ssage,  reached  by  a  few  steps, 
leads  to  an  inner  courtyard,  around  which  are  the  family  rooms,  still 
another  passage  being  used  by  servants  and  tradesmen.  There  is  little 
knowledge  of  what  goes  to  make  comfort  in  the  fittings  of  a  Chinese 
house.  The  only  protection  against  cold  is  clothing,  garments  being 
added  until  their  weight  prohibits  motion.  The  furniture  is  of  wood, 
of  angular  shape,  sometimes  with  a  few  hard  cushions.  The  beds  are 
little  better,  with  their  oblong  cubes  of  bamboo  for  pillows.  On  this 
structure  a  woman  must  arrange  her  head  so  as  not  to  disturb  a  sin- 
gle one  of  the  hairs  that  are  elaborately  dressed  with  bandoline,  and 
intended  to  keep  their  fantastic  arrangement  for  days  at  a  time.  Each 
Chinese  province  has  its  method  of  hair  -  dressing.  In  Canton  the 
ordinary  style  is  to  have  the  back  hair  plastered  into  the  semblance 
of  a  teapot  handle,  while  the  sides  are  ornamented  with  pins  and 
flowers,  natural  or  artificial.  The  bang  is  worn  only  by  the  unmar- 
ried. The  time  of  change  from  winter  to  summer  dress  and  the  re- 
verse is  decided  upon  by  an  edict  from  the  emperor.  A  Chinese  lady 
plasters  her  complexion,  paints  her  lips,  trims  her  eyebrows,  and  other- 
wise disfigures  herself;  but  there  is  no  folly  that  resembles  tight  lacing 
and  hooped  petticoats  until  we  come  to  the  cruelty  practised  upon 
the  feet.  A  working  woman  of  the  Hakkas  class  has  something  left 
to  stand  upon.  But  the  wife  of  a  well  -  to  -  do  Chinaman  is  almost  as 
helpless  as  when  she  was  born.  At  five  years  old  the  girl  baby's  feet 
are    bound   with    the    four  smaller   toes  bent    under   the    foot    and    the 

I6 


82  IN   THE    TRACK  OF   THE  SUN. 

instep  forced  upward  and  backward.  High-heeled  shoes  are  put  on, 
and  in  time  the  woman  has  two  pegs  at  the  end  of  shrivelled  lower 
limbs.  What  do  the  Darwinians  say  to  the  fact  that  Chinese  babies  are 
still  born  with  the  pretty  shapely  foot  of  a  distant  ancestress.?  The 
Manchoos  and  the  Efakkas  of  Canton  are  exceptions  to  the  otherwise 
universal  practice.  The  queue  worn  by  the  man  is  as  unnatural  a  dis- 
figurement, although  not  so  cruel  or  harmful.  The  first  ruler  of  the 
present  dynasty  compelled  the  conquered  nation  to  be  shaved  with  the 
exception  of  the  crown.  Into  the  hair  that  is  allowed  to  grow  are 
woven  various  materials,  according  to  the  owner's  wealth,  to  form  the 
pigtail,  which,  at  length,  has  come  to  be  looked  upon  as  a  glory  rather 
than  a  shame  among  those  not  in  open  rebellion. 

Marriage  in  China  is  attended,  as  are  all  their  rites,  with  vast  cere- 
mony. Generally  the  young  people  have  never  seen  each  other,  as  eti- 
quette permits  no  acquaintance  between  youths  and  maidens,  the  wed- 
ding being  arranged  by  third  parties.  When,  at  last,  after  many  pre- 
liminaries, the  bridegroom  stands  in  the  reception-room  on  a  dais,  the 
bride  comes  and  prostrates  herself  at  his  feet.  lie  descends  to  her  side 
and,  raising  her  veil,  gazes  on  her  for  the  first  time.  Then  they  sit 
down  in  silence,  each  one  trying  to  sit  on  the  garments  of  the  other,  as 
the  one  who  succeeds  will  be  ruler  of  the  house.  After  many  cere- 
monies, during  which  the  bridegroom  eats  and  the  bride  refuses  the 
offered  food,  she  sits  answering  riddles  late  into  the  night  or  otherwise 
entertains  her  guests  alone,  for  custom  forbids  that  husband  and  wife 
should  ever  be  seen  in  public  together.  Divorce  is  easy  for  the  hus- 
band, impossible  for  the  wife,  and  suicide  to  escape  marriage  is  not  at  all 
uncommon.  Life  is  cheaply  held,  and  such  is  the  honour  bestowed  on 
those  who  have  the  courage  to  take  their  own  lives,  that  the  widow 
who  voluntarily  dies  at  her  husband's  tomb  is  given  a  foretaste  of  the 
fame  that  is  to  crown  her  name.  It  is  considered  of  the  greatest  impor- 
tance that  the  whole  family  be  present  at  the  deathbed  of  a  Chinese 
householder.  His  last  words  are  noted,  and  he  is  placed  in  the  main 
hall  to  die.     Here  his  body  is  prepared  for  burial,  many  precious  things 


I 


o 
13 

c 


^■( 


FUNERAL   CUSTOMS.  83 


being  placed  in  the  coffin,  and  a  Sedan  chair  being  burned,  that  its  spirit 
may  transport  his  in  the  other  world.  The  ceremonies  of  mourning 
continue  for  many  months,  and  the  greatest  importance  is  attached  to 
them.  So  necessary  is  it  to  find  exactly  the  proper  site  for  the  tomb 
that  the  burial  is  sometimes  delayed  for  years  while  an  expert  is  search- 
ing, compass  in  hand,  up  and  down  the  land.  Then  a  lucky  day  must 
be  found  for  the  interment.  As  the  things  that  render  days  unlucky  for 
such  purpose  are  numerous,  delays  are  frequent.  Should  any  relative  of 
the  deceased  be  enceinte,  there  could  be  no  funeral  until  after  the  birth. 
The  eldest  son  follows  the  body  of  his  father,  leaning  upon  a  bamboo 
staff  to  show  overwhelming  sorrow,  while  for  his  mother  he  leans  upon  a 
cane  of  fung,  to  show  that  the  grief  is  not  inconsolable. 


The  English  church  at  Canton. 


o!..-.«».*5l.. '! 


■  '    <*-  'ludth  ■  ITiTi       a,.    ^ 


_.J 


CHAPTER    VI. 

THROUGH    THE    STRAITS    TO    CEYLON. 

/^N  Saturday,  December  i2tli, 
^-^  the  weather  continued  to 
grow  warmer,  and  we  were  in  sight 
of  the  coast  of  Siam  for  several 
hours,  but  not  near  enough  to  see 
the  character  of  the  country.  The 
sea  was  smooth,  being  protected 
eastward  by  the  Philippine  Islands 
and  Borneo.  During  the  afternoon 
we  were  off  the  mouth  of  Cam- 
bodia  River. 

On  Sunday  we  were  again  fa- 
voured with  a  delightful  tropical 
day.  Divine  service  was  heard  on  deck,  the  captain  reading  the 
prayers  ai  grandc  tc)iiic\  and  all  the  officers  being  present  in  tiieir 
neat  white  duck  uniform.  The  reading-desk  was  covered  with  the 
Union  Jack,  and  a  volunteer  choir  gave  the  music,  with  jiiano  and 
violin    accompaniment.      .Vt    1.20   the    observation    showed    us    to    be 


Penatii'  harbour. 


"?^ 


AT  SINGAPORE.  85 


crossing  the  Gulf  of  Siam.  The  evening  was  ideal,  a  moon  nearly 
full  shining  brightly  on  the  placid  sea. 

Monday  was  another  pleasant  day.  In  the  afternoon  tea  was  served 
on  deck,  after  which  we  had  an  amateur  concert,  consisting  of  vocal  and 
instrumental  music,  the  latter  on  the  violin,  the  piano,  and  the  zither. 
Tuesday  morning  we  were  nearing  Singapore.  The  ship  passed  the 
city  and  continued  for  three  miles  to  the  wharves,  which  are  on  a  lit- 
tle island  connected  with  the  larger  one.  We  were  soon  made  fast,  and 
at  once  I  left  the  ship  and  took  a  gharry,  a  curious  sort  of  cab, 
drawn  by  a  strong  little  Malay  pony  about  twelve  hands  high, 
driven  by  a  kling.  It  is  surprising  what  a  heavy  load  these  ponies 
will  draw  and  how  fast  they  can  go. 

The  superiority  of  the  European  race— in  size  as  well  as  intelli- 
gence— to  the  other  races  is  very  marked  on  Eastern  ground.  I  was 
struck  with  this  fact  before  we  landed  at  the  wharf,  where  a  group  of 
perhaps  a  dozen  Englishmen  were  waiting  to  come  on  board.  They 
were  dressed  after  the  European  manner  there,  in  spotless  white,  and 
the  contrast    to  the  motley  crowd  of  natives  was  strongly  presented. 

After  a  three-mile  drive  I  arriv^ed  at  the  Hotel  de  I'Europe,  at 
which  I  had  expected  to  find  a  Cingalese  guide  who  had  been  rec- 
ommended to  mc  for  Ceylon  and  India.  I  had  written  to  him  to  be 
ready,  and  he  had  gone  to  the  steamer,  where  I  had  missed  him. 
Soon,  however,  Pereira — for  that  was  his  name — made  his  appearance, 
and  informed  me  that  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Malay  Govern- 
ment, keeping  a  "  rest-house,"  or  hotel,  and  was  under  contract  for 
two  years — a  contract  impossible  for  him  to  break.  He  had  come 
up  expressly  to  see  me  from  his  station,  which  was  two  days  distant 
by  steamer.  This  was  a  touching  piece  of  devotion,  1  thought;  but 
afterward  I  found  that  I  was  expected  to  pay  his  way  up  and  back, 
besides  showing  my  appreciation  of  this  concern  in  a  substantial 
present.  However,  as  he  immediately  took  charge  of  me  and  ad- 
dressed me  in  every  sentence    as    "  Master,"    it  would   have  been  most 

ungracious  to  begrudge  the  cost. 

17 


S6 


/.\    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


Fortunately,  the  day  was  overcast,  so  I  amused  myself  by  driving 
around  the  town,  visiting  the  Museum,  the  Botanical  Gardens,  and 
many  excellent  shops.  The  bungalows  where  the  foreigners  live  are 
mostly  beautiful  and  attractive  villas.  The  roads  are  as  hard  as  a 
floor,  and    the    lawns    as    fine    as    any  in    England.     This,  of  course,  is 


Tiger-shooting  in  the  Malay  peninsula. 

owing  to  the  moist  atmosphere  and    the    frequent  rains.     The  tropical 
trees  and  flowers  grow  in  a  most  luxuriant  manner. 

On  the  island  of  Singapore,  even  at  the  jiresent  time,  tigers  are 
frequently  killed  in  the  jungle.  Twenty  years  ago  they  were  very 
destructive  to  human  life,  one  person  a  day  being  the  average  killed 
and  eaten  by  these  ferocious  beasts.  Singapore  has  a  population  of 
about  140,000  souls,  and  is  the  capital  of  what  are  known  as  the 
"  Straits    Settlements,"    which  consist   of   Singapore,    Penang,  and    Ma- 


THE  STRAITS  SETTLEMENTS. 


87 


lacca,  or  Wellesley.  It  is  neighbour  to  Java,  Borneo,  and  Sumatra. 
The  island  of  Singapore  proper  is  twenty-seven  miles  long  by  four- 
teen miles  wide,  and  is  separated  by  a  channel  three  fourths  of  a 
mile  wide  from  the  dominion  and  the  palace  of  the  Sultan  of  Johore. 
The  Sultan  is  thoroughly  Europeanized  in  his  ways,  and  spends  most 
of  his  time  in  London  and  Paris.  I  had  met  him  at  Homburg,  and 
it  had  been  my  intention  to  drive  out  to  his  palace  to  pay  my  re- 
spects to  him,  but  I  learned  that  he  was  then  absent,  so  I  did  not 
go.  He  is  said  to  entertain  in  most  lavish  style.  To  each  guest, 
lady  or  gentleman,  immediately  on  arrival  a  eunuch  is  assigned  as  a 
special  servant.  The  eunuch  sleeps  on  a  mat  in  the  guest's  room, 
ready  to  be  of  service  at  any  moment.  The  ladies,  especially,  find 
this  feature  a  decided  novelty. 

Sir  Stamford  Raffles,  who  in  about  the  second  decade  of  the  cen- 
tury married  the  daughter  of  the  Rajah  of  Johore  of  that  period, 
founded  Singapore  in  1819.  At  first  it 
was  under  Indian  rule,  but  in  1867  it  was 
transferred  by  the  Indian  Government,  and 
was  made  a  crown  colony. 

The  steamers  of  the  various  lines  to 
Singapore  go  for  the  most  part  to  the 
Tanjong  Pagar  wharf.  The  harbour  of 
Singapore  is  crowded  with  shipping  and 
British  men-of-war.  European  trading-ves- 
sels, hundreds  of  Malay  proas  and  Chinese 
junks,  fishing-boats  and  passenger  sampans 
make  a  lively  scene.  The  government  and 
troops  of  the  town  are  English,  as  well  as 

the  chief  merchants.  The  mass  of  the  population  is  Chinese— the 
wealthy  merchants  and  large  farmers,  as  well  as  the  mechanics  and 
labourers,  being  of  that  race.  The  native  Malays  are  usually  fisher- 
men and  boatmen,  while  they  also  supply  the  police  force.  The 
clerks  and    small    merchants  are  niostly   Portuguese  of   Malacca,  while 


A  Dvak  of  Borneo . 


88 


IN   THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


the  grooms  and  washermen  are  all  Bengalese.  Many  of  the  sailors 
are  Japanese,  and  there  is  a  sprinklinc;  of  Dyaks  from  Borneo  and 
natives  of  other  islands  of  the  archipelago. 

The    architecture  of  the  town  shows  the  same  variety.     There    are 
handsome  public  buildings  and  churches,  Mohammedan  mosques,  Chi- 
nese joss-houses,   fine    European   dwell- 
ings, huge  substantial  warehouses,  quaint 
kling    and    Chinese    bazars,  and    many 
streets  of  Chinese  and  Malay  cottages. 
In   the    twelfth    century  the    city  of 
Singapore  (Lion's  Town)   occupied  the 
site  and  was  capital  of  a  Malayan  king- 
dom.    It    fell  into  decay,  and  when,  in 
1819,  the   British  built    a    factory  there, 
the    whole    island    had    but    a    hundred 
and  fifty  inhabitants.     In    1824  the  Sul- 
tan   of    Johore    transferred    the    sover- 
eignty   of     the     island     to     the    British, 
since  which  time   it$  progress  has  been 
great.     It    is    the    natural    entrepot    for 
the    commerce    of    southern    Asia    and 
the    Indian    Archipelago,  and    is  a  free    port.     The    largest  vessels  can 
drop  anchor  in  its  wide  harbour. 

The  drays  and  carts  that  frequent  the  streets  are  drawn  each  by 
the  active  little  Indian  bullock  with  a  large  hump  on  his  back.  He 
travels  along  at  a  speed  of  four  or  five  miles  an  hour.  There  was 
considerable  excitement  in  Singapore  on  the  15th  of  December,  as  a 
circus  had  come  to  town — an  unusual  ev^ent  at  the  Straits.  The  per- 
formance announced  was  the  "  Wild  West,  or  Frontier  Life  in 
America." 

At  the  Hotel  de  I'Europe  dinner  was  served  under  a  colonnade 
open  on  one  side  to  the  air,  and  I  then  took  a  gharry,  drove  back 
to  the  Rosetta,  and  turned  into  my  bunk  for  the  night. 


The  SiiJtan  of  Johore. 


AT  PENANG.  89 


On  Wednesday  morninir,  December  i6th,  at  eight  o'clock,  our 
steamer  continued  her  trip  through  the  Straits.  The  scene  on  the 
wharf  just  before  our  departure  was  very  amusing.  Many  natives 
were  there,  with  various  articles  to  sell.  Monkeys  could  be  bought 
for  two  dollars  a  pair ;  beautiful  little  paroquets  with  a  cage,  for  one 
dollar  a  pair ;  while  Malacca  canes — a  bunch  of  a  dozen — and  fine 
specimens  of  coral  and  shells,  could  be  had  for  a  few  cents.  As  the 
Rosetta  began  to  move  out  into  the  stream  a  crowd  of  half-naked 
boys  in  canoes  surrounded  us,  and  the  passengers  threw  into  the 
water  pieces  of  money,  which  the  boys  dived  for,  a  sinking  penny 
being  overtaken  and  seized  before  it  reached  the  bottom. 

The  weather  continued  pleasant,  with  an  occasional  shower.  Land 
could  be  seen  on  both  sides  of  the  Straits,  which  were  as  smooth  as 
any  river.  In  the  evening  the  moon  shone  full  and  bright,  and  many 
on  board  indulged  in  dancing  and  singing.  These  nights  were  so 
lovely  that  it  was  unusually  late  before  we  left  the  deck  ;  in  fact, 
some  of  the  passengers  brought  up  their  beds  and  slept  in  the  cool 
breeze  in  preference  to  keeping  the  stuffy  cabins. 

On  Thursday,  at  one  o'clock,  we  reached  the  port  of  Georgetown, 
Prince  of  Wales  Island,  commonly  called  Penang,  from  Pulo  Penang 
or  Betel-nut  Island,  as  the  native  name  signified.  It  is  a  beautiful 
spot,  two  miles  off  the  Straits  of  Malacca,  facing  Deli,  a  Dutch  col- 
ony in  Sumatra.  The  island  is  twenty  miles  long  by  nine  miles  wide. 
On  the  Malay  side  is  the  province  of  Wellesley,  two  miles  distant,  on 
a  strip  of  land  thirty-five  miles  in  breadth  and  eighty  miles  in  length. 
The  British  purchased  Penang  in  1786,  and  Wellesley  in  iSoo,  from 
the  Rajah  of  Quedah. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  one  ship  of  Captain  Kidd,  the  famous 
"pirate"  (so  called),  was  the  Ouedah  Merchant,  and  she  had  been 
captured,  with  the  dowry  of  the  daughter  of  the  Great  Mogul  on 
board,  by   Kidd's  original  vessel,  the  Adventure  Galley. 

I    went    ashore    in    a    peculiarly    shaped    boat    of    sharp    prow    and 

broad    stern,  which  was    propelled    by  a  man  standing  at  the  extreme 

18 


90  /.\"    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 

end  of  the  stern,  with  a  pair  of  oars  that  were  shaped  like  spades. 
On  landing-,  I  took  a  g/iarry  and  a  guide,  and  drove  first  to  the 
Oriental  Hotel,  which  is  delightfully  situated  directly  on  the  water 
and  is  surrounded  by  a  tropical  garden.  Hence  we  went  through 
the  town,  which  has  a  Portuguese  or  Spanish  appearance.  The 
population  is  composed  of  a  variety  of  races  and  creeds,  like  that  of 
Singapore. 

The  k/i?ig  children  look  very  funny  here,  walking  about  with  no 
clothing  whatever,  but  with  a  silver  shield  the  size  of  a  hve-franc 
piece,  hung  around  their  bodies  by  a  silver  chain,  and  falling  in  front 
of  the  person  so  as  not  to  shock  European  sensibilities.  Sometimes 
they  wear  also,  on  their  arms  and  ankles,  Ijangles  of  silver,  which 
contrast  well  with  their  dark  skin. 

There  are  pleasant-looking  and  handsome  buildings  on  the  island 
— the  Penang  Club,  the  Government  House,  and  many  of  the  bunga- 
lows of  the  foreign  and  Chinese  merchants ;  for  some  of  the  latter 
are  wealthy  and  have  luxurious  establishments,  with  their  imported 
English  horses  and  dog-carts  in   European  style. 

We  drove  out  to  the  waterfall,  a  pretty  cascade  in  a  well-kept 
park,  passing  large  groves  of  palm-^,  principally  the  cocoanut  and  the 
sago,  and  bread-fruit  and  betel-nut  trees.  No  oranges  are  cultivated 
here,  it  being  too  hot  for  them.  The  native  houses  are  usually  built 
on  posts  ten  feet  high — a  construction  that  has  many  sanitary  advan- 
tages, and  makes  a  refuge  from  the  aggressions  of  reptiles,  noxious 
insects,  and  wild  animals. 

From  both  Singapore  and  Penang  are  ship]ied  large  quantities  of 
tin,  which  is  mined  at  Perak,  a  native  state  under  a  British  protec- 
torate on  the  Peninsula.  I  was  informed  that  this  business,  as  well 
as  the  tobacco  trade,  had  been  disturbed  considerably  by  the  new 
American  tariff. 

The  temperature  at  the  Straits  of  Malacca  is  the  same  the  year 
round,  the  only  difference  being  that  there  is  more  rain  in  certain 
months    than    in    others  ;    but    there    is    great    humidity  of   the    air    at 


CROSS/NO    THE  BAY  OF  BENGAL. 


91 


all  seasons,  and  this  makes  the  heat  more  perceptible  than  in  a  like 
temperature  of  dry  air,  especially  wiien  one  takes  active  exercise. 
The  range  of  the  thermometer  daily  is  from  60''  to  95"^   Fahrenheit. 

Returning  to  the  landing-stairs,  I   was  conveyed    to    the  ship  by  a 
steam   launch    kindly  placed    at    my    disposal    by  the    governor.      At   7 


Sianu-Si  pagoda,   Penang. 


P.  M.  we  hoisted  anchor  and  sailed  away,  the  full  moon  shining  on  the 
placid  water.  Later  in  the  evening  the  beautiful  constellation  of  the 
Southern  Cross  was  pointed  out  to  me.  On  Friday  the  heat  was 
extremely  oppressive.  In  the  afternoon  we  passed  in  sight  of  Suma- 
tra and  the  Dutch  colony  of  Acheen.  At  dinner  I  ate  for  the  first 
time  a  mangosteen,  a  fruit  that  grows  at  Penang.  It  is  excellent  in 
flavour,  and  different  from  any  other  fruit  that  I  have  seen. 


IN   THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


On  the  RosL'tta  the  passengers  were  about  equally  divided  between 
Americans  and  English.  The  two  nationalities,  as  a  rule,  do  not  un- 
derstand each  other  and  are  not  sympathetic.  The  English  are  un- 
doubtedly very  jealous  of  the  wealth  and  power  of  the  United  States. 
The  McKinley  bill  they  consider  as  especially  aimed  at  their  manufac- 
tures, and  they  complain  bitterly  of  its  effect. 


--SS 


EUphants  working  at  tanneru's,   Pcrab. 


The  officers  of  these  Oriental  lines  of  steamers  spend  much  of 
their  time  in  dancing  and  flirting  with  the  ladies.  This  is  not  per- 
mitted on  the  Atlantic  liners,  where  the  officers  seldom  speak  to  the 
passengers  except  in  connection  wMth  their  duty. 

Saturday  ]:)assed  pleasantly.  The  weather  was  cooler,  and  the 
Bay  of  Bengal,  into  which  we  had  entered,  was  quiet  and  without 
any  ground  swell.     It  reminded  me  of  Long  Island  Sound  on  a  warm 


■^ 


ARRIVAL   IN  CEYLON.  93 


day  in  August,  except  for  the  vast  number  of  flying  fishes  that  were 
to  be  seen. 

In  the  evening  there  was  an  entertainment  of  recitations  and 
music  on  the  deck.  Sunday,  December  20th,  was  much  like  the  pre- 
vious day.  Morning  prayers  were  read  on  deck  at  10.30  a.  m.,  the 
captain,  as  usual,  officiating.  Just  previous  to  the  hour  of  service  an 
inspection  of  the  ship's  company  took  place.  All  turned  out  in  full 
uniform  and  formed  in  line  :  first  the  officers  in  full  dress,  with  Irock 
coats,  then  the  English  sailors  in  "  apple-pie "  order,  with  clean  white 
trousers ;  and  then  the  Lascars,  also  neat  in  white  muslin  clothes, 
with  bright,  new,  coloured  sashes  around  their  waists,  and  in  red  tur- 
bans. In  the  evening  the  phosphorescence  in  the  water  was  the  most 
brilliant  I  have  ever  seen.  One  would  almost  imagine  that  there 
were  innumerable  gas-jets  in  the  water  that  was  disturbed  by  the 
movement  of  the  ship. 

On  Monday,  at  one  o'clock,  we  sighted  the  island  of  Ceylon,  and 
ran  along  the  shore  so  close  that  we  could  easilv  distinguish  the  liirht- 
houses  and  the  trees.  We  passed  the  Point  de  Galle,  and  arrived 
at  Colombo  soon  after  midnight. 

During  our  voyage  several  desperate  heart-affairs  were  in  prog- 
ress, mostly  among  the  officers,  and  on  this  day  a  prospective  en- 
gagement was  announced.  On  the  A'erona,  from  Yokohama,  was 
a  widow  with  several  daughters,  of  whom  one,  a  lovelv  girl,  of 
about  eighteen  years,  seemed  rapidly  to  have  captivated  the  ship's 
surgeon,  but  we  thought  nothing  of  it  until  we  found,  at  Hong-Kong, 
that  the  young  sawbones  had  been  transferred  to  the  Rosetta,  so 
as  to  continue  voyaging  in  company  with  his  ladv-love.  The 
two  were  inseparable  after  this ;  and  naturally  the  important  question 
was  asked  by  this  young  disciple  of  ^Esculapius  and  a  favourable 
reply  was  given,  subject  to  mamma's  approval.  The  widow,  being 
the  cousin  of  a  former  peer  of  the  realm,  who  had  been  raised  to 
his    high    rank    for    his    great    historical    work  on    England,    naturally 

considered    a    poor  doctor  to  be  hardly    a   fit   match  for   her  beautiful 
19 


94 


IN   THE    TRACK  OF   THE  SUN. 


and  blue-blooded  daughter,  and,  though  she  at  last  yielded  consent, 
she  did  not  accord  it  quite  to  the  young  people's  wishes.  She  in- 
sisted upon  a  year's  probation,  in  hopes  of  curing  her  daughter  of 
her  fancy. 

On  awaking  Tuesday  morning,  at  6  a.  m.,  I  found  we  were  riding 
at  anchor  behind  the  breakwater  in  the  harbour  of  Colombo.  The 
first    stone  of  this    magnificent    structure,  which  it   took  ten  years    to 


Amative  luit  i)i  a  cinnamon  garden,    Colombo. 


complete,  was  laid  by  the  Prince  of  Wales,  December  8,  1875.  Until 
this  work  was  consummated  Galle  was  the  chief  port  of  the  island. 
The  total  cost   of  the  breakwater  was  £700,000. 

After  breakfast,  which  was  served  at  seven  o'clock  instead  of  nine, 


A    VISIT    TO   ARAB/  PACHA. 


95 


1  took  a  launcli  and  went  asliore,  passed  m}'  luggage  through  the 
custom-house,  and  then  secured  a  room  at  the  Grand  Oriental  Hotel. 
The  hotel  was  a  wonderful  sight,  as  there  were  six  large  steamships 
in  the  harbour,  and  their  passengers  were  nearly  all  at  this  vast  resort. 
With  a  guide  I  drove  about,  viewing  the  public  buildings  and  the 
beautiful  private  bungalows,  and  visiting  the  shops.  In  the  afternoon  I 
inspected  the  Museum  in  the  Cinnamon  Gardens,  and  then  paid  a  visit 
to  Arabi  Pacha.  "  How  have  the  mighty  fallen  !  "  To  think  that  the 
great  power  behind  the  throne  who  was  once  omnipotent  in  Kgypt 
and  the  Soudan,  and  whose  name  and  deeds  engrossed  the  attention 
of  all  the  world,  should  be  living  quietly  in  a  very  unpretending  house 
in  the  suburbs  of  Colombo,  sweltering  in  the  hot,  damp  atmosphere, 
w^ith  no  occupation  and  no  interests  in  life  except  his  negro  concubines 
and  their  children  ! 

I  sent  in  mv  card,  and  was  politely  invited  to  enter.  I  found 
Arabi  sitting  on  the  veranda,  and  as  I  approached  he  rose  and 
greeted  me  with  much  cordiality,  and 
said  with  earnestness  that  he  was  j^leased 
to  see  me.  He  then  motioned  me  to 
a  seat,  and  I  sat  for  half  an  hour  in 
conversation  with  him.  He  complained 
bitterly  of  the  terrible  climate  of  Cey- 
lon, which  he  says  is  making  him  blind, 
besides  giving  him  rheumatism.  On 
my  rising  to  leave,  he  again  expressed 
his  gratification  at  having  seen  me.  At 
the  gate  was  a  nurse  with  Aral)i's  little 
son  Abdullah,  who  showed  unmistak- 
able signs  of  his  negro  blood.  The 
name  of  Arabi  Pacha's  residence  is  "  El 
Sternwick."  I  returned  by  way  of  the  Esplanade,  which  is  a  beautiful 
driveway  and  promenade,  extending  along  the  sea  from  the  Galle 
Face    Hotel  to  the    barracks,  about  three  fourths  of  a    mile.      It    is  a 


Arahi  Pacha. 


96 


/A    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


lovely  walk,  and  in  Ceylon,  upon  a  fine  night,  certainly  "  every  pros- 
pect pleases,  and  only  man  is  vile."  The  band  of  the  Gordon  High- 
landers was  playing  at  the  barracks,  and  I  stopped  there  until  the 
programme  was  rounded  with  the  usual  finale  of  "  God  save  the 
Queen."'     I    then   took  my  way  to  the  hotel  in  time  for  dinner.     The 


'lea-LaJ  ex^nniiin/ioii ,    Crv/i'// 


principal  buildings  of  Colombo  are  the  Queen's   House,  the  Cathedral, 
the  Clock  Tower,  and  the   barracks. 

A  great  many  of  the  native  Cingalese  are  Christians,  mainlv  Roman 
Catholics.  A  part  of  the  inhabitants  are  descendants  of  the  first  Euro- 
pean conquerors,  the  Portuguese,  and  of  the  Dutch  who  succeeded 
them.     The    various    kinds    of    half-castes    are    called    Eurasians.      My 


CiiMai^r  palms.   Ceylon. 


THE  INTERIOR   OE  CEYLON.  97 

guide  was  named  McDonald.  He  informed  me  that  his  grandfather 
was  a  soldier  who  had  married  a  Cingalese  woman  and  settled  in 
Colombo.  I  tried  the  betel-nut,  but  it  did  not  suit  my  palate  in  the 
least. 

Colombo  was  named  after  the  great  Christopher  Columbus,  and  I 
hoped  that  the  people  and  government  would  be  properly  represented 
at  the  celebration  at  Chicago  in  1S93.  The  population  is  about  128,- 
000 ;  the  principal  business  now  is  the  shipment  of  tea,  which  has 
superseded  that  of  coffee.  Precious  stones  are  found  in  large  num- 
bers in  Ceylon.  Those  offered  for  sale  are  usually  either  of  a  very 
inferior  quality  or  imitations,  but  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  there 
are  few  of  these  latter.  The  cutting  of  the  stones  is  poor,  as  is  also 
the  setting,  and  altogether  I  should  think  that  to  one  wishing  hand- 
some jewels  they  would  not  be  satisfactory.  Stones  of  the  first  qual- 
ity are  promptly  sent  to  Paris  and  London,  and  are  not  to  be  found 
in  Colombo  at  all. 

Adam's  Peak,  the  famous  mountain  of  Ceylon,  is  considered  sacred 
by  both  Mohammedans  and  Buddhists,  in  much  the  same  way  as  Fu- 
siyama  in  Japan.  There  is  a  depression  on  its  summit  which  resem- 
bles an  enormous  footprint.  The  Mohammedans  think  this  was 
where  Adam  stepped  when  he  was  expelled  from  paradise  ;  while  the 
Buddhists  say  it  is  the  impression  of  Buddha's  foot  when  he  stepped 
from  this  mountain-top  to  Siam. 

At  the  bungalow  of  the  agent  of  the  Peninsular  and  Oriental 
steamers  I  saw  a  huge  tortoise,  said  to  be  over  three  hundred 
years  old.     The  poor  creature  is  blind,  but  is  well  taken  care  of 

Wednesday  morning  I  took  the  train  at  7.30  for  Nanu-oya,  and 
thence  went  by  coach  five  miles  to  Nu-wara-Eliya.  On  leaving 
Colombo  we  passed  at  first  for  some  distance  through  a  tropical 
jungle,  in  which  bamboo,  and  the  banana,  cocoa,  and  other  palms, 
grew  in  great  abundance.  In  the  streams  the  natives  were  taking  their 
morning  bath — the  men  by  themselves  and  the  women  and  chil- 
dren    by    themselves,  according    to    custom.      The    Cingalese    women 


98 


IN   THE    TRACK  OF   THE  SUN. 


wear  a  profusion  of  jewellery,  and    their  costume  usually  consists  of  a 
skirt  of  some  bright  colour  and  a  white  cotton  waist,  which  modestly 


I llyillUl      Ollll  , 


covers  the  bust,  but  is  cut  short  so  tliat  it  discloses  the  dark  skin 
of  the  stomach  and  about  the  navel.  The  Tamil  woman  wears  a  skirt 
also,  and  a  loose  piece  of  red  muslin  neatly  adjusted  on  one  shoulder 
and  falling  gracefully  over  the  breasts,  leaving  the  back  bare. 

The  Ceylon  government  railway  is  remarkably  well  constructed, 
the  roadbed,  bridges,  and  rails  being  substantial,  and  the  whole  work 
a  fine  piece  of  engineering.  The  cars,  however,  are  poor,  and  the 
management  is  exceedingly  bad.  A  refreshment  car  is  run  for  break- 
fast and  tiffin,  and  the  food  is  fairly  good. 


NANU-OYA,   IN    THE  MOUNJAIA'S. 


99 


At  about  three  hours'  distance  from  Colombo  the  traveller  finds  a 
change  in  the  aspect  of  the  country,  the  only  crop  raised  being  tea, 
with  the  exception  of  a  very  little  coffee.  The  raising  of  tea  is  a 
comparatively  new  industry  in  Ceylon,  for  formerly  coffee  was  almost 
the  exclusive  product ;  but  the  crop  began  to  fail,  and  now  tea  has 
supplanted  it.  The  dealers  are  making  a  strong  effort  to  drive  out 
Chinese  tea  in  England,  claiming  that  that  of  Ceylon  is  more  whole- 
some.    The    tea  estates    arc    usually  large,  and    many    young   men    are 


A'nvJinn  cJiit-f,    Crr/o>?. 

coming  out   from   England  to   learn    the    methods  of  planting,  as    they 
came  to  the  cattle-ranches  in   the   United   States  a  few  years  ago. 

On  arriving  at   Nanu-oya  I    found   several   coaches,  with  three  large 
"walers,"  as    the    horses    brought  from    New    South  Wales    are    called, 


lOO  /.\    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 

driven  as  a  "spiked  team,"  with  a  coolie  running  alongside  the  leader 
to  whip  him  ujx  The  drive  to  Nu-wara-Eliya  was  superb.  It  was 
over  a  splendid  road,  for  all  the  roads  in  Ceylon  are  excellent.  In 
about  forty  minutes  we  arrived  at  the  Grand  Hotel,  which  I  found 
to  be  a  large  bungalow,  charmingly  situated,  and  with  every  possible 
comfort.  The  weather  was  a  great  contrast  to  that  of  Colombo.  A 
thick  overcoat  was  necessary,  and  I  was  glad  to  warm  myself  before 
a  large  wood-fire.  This  temperature  results  from  the  altitude,  the 
place  being  six  thousand  two  hundred  feet  above  sea  level.  It  is  the 
fashion  among  the  people  of  elegance  to  go  either  there  or  to 
Kandy  for  Christmas,  and  many  spend  a  month  to  recuperate  from 
the  incessant  heat  of  Colombo. 

Near  Nu-\vara-Eliya  is  the  country  of  the  elephants.  Besides  the 
domesticated  ones,  those  in  the  wild  state  abound.  Here  also  are  elk, 
bear,  red  deer,  leopards,  moose  deer,  wild  boar,  and  jungle  fowl.  This 
region  is  rich,  too,  in  sapphires,  rubies,  and  cat's-eyes,  and  in  gold 
and  tin. 

Dinner,  at  7.30,  was  much  like  that  meal  in  private  houses,  the 
table  being  tastefully  decorated  with  flowers.  The  vegetables  served 
included  cabbage,  turnips,  and  celery,  all  raised  in  the  neighbourhood 
— which  was  strange,  considering  how  near  we  were  to  the  equator. 
That  night,  being  furnished  with  a  good  bed,  I  slept  better  than  at 
any  time  since  leaving  Hong-Kong. 

On  Thursday  morning  I  had  "  cJiota  hazril'  or  early  tea,  with 
toast,  butter,  and  jam,  brought  to  me  by  a  boy,  according  to  the 
invariable  custom  in  Ceylon  and  India,  after  which  I  went  for  a 
long  drive,  returning  by  coach  in  time  for  breakfast  at  ten  o'clock. 

At  12.30  the  coach  stopped  for  me,  and  I  drove  back  to  Nanu- 
oya,  whence  I  took  the  train  for  Kandy,  having  received  a  telegram 
that  my  room  there  was  ready  for  me. 

The  principal  crops  grown  in  this  part  of  Ceylon,  besides  tea  and 
coffee,  are  cocoa,  cinchona,  cardamoms,  cotton,  tobacco.  India-rubber, 
pepper,  cloves,  mace,  rice,  sugar,  and  nutmegs. 


THE  KANDIAN  REGION. 


lOI 


The  large  traffic  of  Christmas-time  delayed  my  train,  which  was 
over  an  hour  late  when  it  reached  Kandy.  On  Christmas  day,  at 
seven   o'clock,  the    boy    awoke    me    and    conducted    me    down   to    the 


•gajBBKaERS^-^E^I 


Buddhisi  temple  at  Kandy. 

bath,  which  was  among  the  hoise-stalls  adjoining  the  street.  The 
bath-tub  was  of  primitive  order,  being  made  of  cement,  and  looking 
much  like  a  fish-pond,  but  it  answered  the  purpose  as  well  as  the  fine 
porcelain  ones  that  are  found  in  American  hotels.  After  tea  I  took  a 
guide  and  a  carriage  and  went  for  a  beautiful  drive  around  the  lake 
or  the  tank,  as  it  is  called,  passing  through  Lady  MacCarthy's  Road 
and  Lady  Gordon's  Road  to  Lady  Horton's  Walk.  These  mountains 
entirely  shut   in  the  ancient  capital.     The  view  of  the  range  surround- 


I02 


IN    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


ins:  Kandv  is  very  fine.  My  guide  pointed  out  to  me  specimens  of 
nutmeg,  cinnamon,  rattan,  breadfruit,  pepper,  and  cloves.  We  then  de- 
scended the  hill,  passing  the  English  church  of  St.  Paul's,  where  an 
early  Christmas  service  was  being  held,  and  thence  to  the  former  pal- 
ace of  the  kings,  which  includes  the 
Dalada  Maliga  Wa,  or  temple  of  the 
sacred  tootli  of  Buddha.  Here  also 
service  was  being  held  by  Buddhist 
priests,  and  strains  of  the  Christian 
organ  blended  with  the  pounding  of 
the  heathen  tom-tom.  There  I  saw 
the  gilded  receptacle  which  is  said  to 
contain  the  tooth.  The  original  tooth, 
though,  was  undoubtedly  destroyed  by 
the  Portuguese  conquerors  in  1560. 
In  the  Museum  at  Colombo  I  saw  a 
facsimile  of  the  object  which  is  now 
averred  to  be  the  tooth.  It  resem- 
bles more  the  tusk  of  a  wild  boar 
then  any  mandible  of  the  human 
mouth.  The  receptacles  for  the  teeth 
of  Buddha  number  seven,  and  are 
studded  with  precious  stones  of  fabu- 
lous value.  There  are  other  interesting  sights  in  the  temple,  notably 
an  image  of  Buddha  cut  in  crystal.  Opposite  to  the  Temple  of  the 
Sacred  Tooth  is  a  Hindoo  temple  sacred  to  Vishnu,  in  the  c(Mn- 
pound  or  yard  of  wiiich  is  a  sacred  bo  tree,  and  a  copy  in  stone  of 
the  footprint  of  Adam  which  he  impressed  on  Adam's  Peak  when  he 
alighted  from  his  fall  out  of  paradise. 

At  1 1  A.  M.  I  attended  St.  Paul's  Church.  Here  I  witnessed  a 
full  cathedral  service  excellently  rendered,  and  it  was  gratifying  to 
see  many  Cingalese  among  the  congregation.  How  different  must 
have  been   the  scene  of    kindred    devotions    at    Grace    Church,    New 


Arabic  pi'u-st,   Colonib.i 


(^ 


^3 


^ 


RELIGIOUS  OBSERVANCES  A I    KANDY. 


lO^ 


York,  where  I  had  attended  services  on  so  many  previous  Christmas 
days !  There  had  been  no  attempts  here  at  dressing  the  church  with 
greens,  but  there    was    a    beautiful    tioral    display.     As    to    the  service, 


Sorting  tea  it'(]7'es,   Ct'vlon. 


the  s|)lendid  old   ritual  of  the  Anglican   Church  sounds  grand  and  im- 
pressive the  world  over. 

After  luncheon  1  visited  the  botanical  gardens  at  Peradeniya,  four 
miles  distant.  I  was  delighted  at  the  fine  collection  of  tropical  trees, 
and  of  orchids  and  other  plants,  concerning  whose  names  and  nature 
an  attendant  gave  me  what  information  I  sought.  I  was  especially 
interested  in  the  giant  bamboos,  and  the  mahogany,  banyan,  and  deadly 
upas  trees.      I   then   took   the   train   for  Colombo,  arriving    in    time  for 


I04 


IN    TH1-:    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


an  excellent  Christmas  dinner,  with    a    menu  comprising  roast  turkey, 
which   I   washed  down  with  some  dry  champagne. 

Saturday  morning  1  took  a  catamaran  and  went  out  to  look  at  the 
accommodations  on  board  the  British  India  steamer  Amra,  which 
plies  between  Colombo  and  Tuticorin.  1  found  her  to  be  very  small, 
and    with  only  one  cabin  of  two  berths    for    first-class  passengers,  the 


Castor-oil  making,   Penang. 

Steamer  having  been  intended  for  the  transportation  of  coolies  only. 
However,  I  secured  the  cabin  for  the  following  noon. 

The  island  of  Ceylon  is  a  crown  colony,  and  is  in  no  way  con- 
nected with  her  Majesty's  Indian  Empire.  In  1888  the  population 
of  the  whole  island  was  estimated  at  2,800,000,  and  that  of  the 
city  of  Colombo  at  120,000.  The  export  of  tea  increased  from  twen- 
ty-three pounds  in  1876  to  24,000,000  pounds  in  1888,  while  there 
has  been  a  similar  increase  in  that  of  cinchona-bark,  from  an  out- 
put of  12,000  pounds  in  1872  to  one  of  15,000,000  pounds  in  1888. 
Large  quantities  of  plumbago,  the  finest  in  the  world,  are  mined  in 
the  interior  of  Ceylon  by  the  natives. 

The  future  of  this  island  colony  I  should  suppose  to  be  bright. 
With  good  government,  economically  administered,  among  industrious 
and  peaceable  inhabitants,  the  increase  of  wealth  must  be  very  rapid. 


7  he  sacred  bull  of  Siva. 


CHAPTER    VII. 


IN    HINDOSTAN. 


N  Sunday,  December  27,  1891,  at  11.30  a.m.,  I 
tuok  a  boat  and  went  on  board  the  Brit- 
ish India  steamer  Amra,  Captain  Costello,  a 
vessel  of  four  hundred  tons  burden.  The 
ship  was  surrounded  by  bumboats  and  cata- 
marans conveying  to  her  decks  loads  of 
coolies,  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  in  all, 
who  were  making  their  way  back  to  various 
parts  of  the  Madras  Presidency.  At  12.30 
we  sailed  out  of  the  Colombo  roadstead,  passing  the  Messagerie 
Maritime  steamer,  which  was  just  arriving  from  Hong-Kong  and 
Singapore.  Our  captain  soon  made  his  appearance,  and  I  found  him 
an  agreeable  and  bright  young  Irishman,  who  had  been  educated  in 
France.  I  inquired  of  him  about  the  sea-snakes  in  these  waters ;  and 
he  said   he  had   frequently  seen   them,  and  that   if  a  rope  was  thrown 


lo6  IN   THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 

overboard  when  a  ship  was  lying  still  in  a  calm  they  would  crawl  up 
to  the  vessel's  deck. 

In  company  with  the  dirty,  half-clad  natives  on  the  Amra  was  an 
English  member  of  the  Salvation  Army.  This  organization  is  making 
a  strong  effort  to  Christianize  the  people  of  Ceylon,  and,  in  order  to 
reach  them  the  more  effectually,  it  has  adopted  for  its  agents  an 
adaptation  of  the  native  dress,  consisting  of  a  red  turban  and  shirt 
and  yellow  skirt  falling  to  the  feet,  which  are  bare  both  of  stockings 
and  of  shoes.  Women  dress  as  the  men  do,  with  the  exception  that 
they  have  nothing  on  their  heads,  but  they  carry  an  umbrella  to  pro- 
tect themselves  from  the  fierce  rays  of  the  sun.  The  excitement 
among  the  coolies  in  Colombo  was  intense  at  the  time  I  was  there  ; 
for  General  Booth,  the  head  of  the  army,  had  just  departed  thence, 
after  holding  meetings  to  stir  religionists  to  greater  activity.  The 
"  soldiers "  who  have  come  over  from  England  to  devote  themselves 
to  religious  duty  are  undoubtedly  disinterested  enthusiasts,  for  their 
lives  cannot  be  pleasant  ;  but  I  should  think  their  zeal  was  sometimes 
misdirected.  Their  efforts  should  be  to  elevate  the  people  they  come 
to  convert.  Associating  with  the  natives  as  they  do,  they  lower  them- 
selves and  injure  the  prestige  of  all  Europeans.  Still,  one  should  not 
judge  them  harshly,  for  their  aim  assuredly  is  to  do  a  good  work  for 
Christianity. 

We  soon  got  out  of  sight  of  land,  and  were  on  our  way  across 
the  Gulf  of  Manar,  which  is  very  apt  to  be  roughened  by  the  mon- 
soon. The  skipper,  as  the  captain  was  called,  informed  me  that  these 
waters  are  somewhat  like  the  English  Channel.  At  the  head  of  this 
gulf  there  is  a  series  of  islands  and  rocks,  named  Adam's  Bridge,  which 
extends  to  the  coast  of  India.  The  channel  at  Paumben  Passage  is 
but  an  eighth  of  a  mile  wide. 

Toward  night  the  wind  increased  until  a  heavy  sea  was  running, 
and  soon  this  was  reenforced  by  a  hard  rain,  and  I  was  obliged  to 
take  refuge  in  my  cabin.  Thinking  that  the  best  thing  to  do  would 
be   to  go  to   sleep,  I  undressed,  and   attempted   it ;  but   the   air  was  so 


VOVAGE    TO    TUTICORIN. 


107 


warm  and  close  that  sleep  was  impossible.  The  cai)in  was  in  the 
extreme  stern  of  the  ship,  and  the  motion  was  particularly  disagree- 
able. In  addition  to  these  discomforts,  a  vast  number  of  cockroaches 
were  runnina;  about  in  all  directions,  and,  although  harmless,  they 
were  decidedly  unpleasant. 

At  eight  o'clock  we  cast  anchor  tive  miles  from  Tuticorin,  and,  as 
the  sea  was  so  rough,  the  steam-launch  did  not  dare  to  come  out  to 
us,  but  instead  three  large  lighters  made  their  appearance.  The  cool- 
ies filled  these,  and  it  was  with  considerable  difficulty  that  I  man- 
aged to  get  upon  one  of  them. 
The  trip  from  the  steamer  to 
the  shore  was  wet  and  uncom- 
fortable, and  the  crowd  of  coo- 
lies, some  of  whom  had  leprosy, 
were  not  greatly  desirable  com- 
pany. At  last  we  landed,  and 
after  passing  the  customs  I  pro- 
ceeded to  the  hotel,  each  of 
my  five  pieces  of  luggage  being 
carried  on  the  head  of  a  single 
coolie.  The  usual  dispute  oc- 
curred over  their  pa\',  but  I 
had  become  wonted  to  this  noisy 
altercation,  and,  after  giving  all 
concerned  a  liberal  recompense, 
I   left  them  to  go  away  at  their 

leisure,  without  more  concern  on  mv  part,  since  they  would  never  be 
satisfied,  no  matter  how  large  a  sum  they  received.  I  was  so  much 
exhausted  that  it  was  difficult  to  eat,  but  after  luncheon  I  felt  better. 
This  was  the  most  fatiguing  and  unpleasant  voyage  that  I  have  yet 
taken,  but  happily  it  was  short. 

At  2.15    I    left   Tuticorin,  which   is  a   place  of  no    special    interest, 
except    perhaps  in  the  fact  that  the  inhabitants  are  nearly  all    Roman 


Method  of  carrving  their  children  In'   Indian  7vomen 
of  lo'iv  caste. 


lo8  IN    THE    TRACK  OF   THE  SUN. 

Catholics,  having  been  converted  many  years  ago  by  the  Portuguese. 
The  South  Indian  Railway  is  of  narrow  gauge,  only  three  feet  three 
and  five  eighths  inches  wide,  but  well  constructed  and  managed  for  a 
road  over  which  nearly  all  who  travel  are  natives.  The  carriages 
have  a  little  awning  of  tin  or  wood,  and  the  roadbed  is  fenced  for  its 
whole  distance  with  a  hedge  of  cactus. 

I  noticed  here  for  the  first  time  that  certain  of  the  natives  wear 
stripes  of  red,  and  that  others  of  different  caste,  who  worship  different 
gods,  wear  white  stripes  ;  sometimes  a  round  dot  on  the  forehead  is 
the  sign.  The  Indian  women  of  all  castes  carry  their  children  on 
their  left  hip,  with  the  child's  face  toward  the  bearer's  body.  These 
women  wear  immense  quantities  of  jewellery,  both  of  gold  and  silver, 
made  into  innumerable  ear-rings,  nose-rings,  and  toe-rings,  and  bangles 
that  encincture  their  upper  arms,  wrists,  and  ankles. 

The  railway  time-table  is  kept  on  the  twenty-four-hour  system, 
the  same  that  the  Western  line  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  has 
adopted,  and  it  is  said  to  simplify  matters  very  much. 

The  country  through  which  I  passed  was  flat  and  uninteresting. 
Great  numbers  of  cattle,  buffalo,  sheep,  and  goats  were  grazing  in  the 
fields,  and  considerable  quantities  of  rice  and  cotton  are  raised  in  the 
neighbourhood.  The  climate  proved  a  most  agreeable  change  from 
that  of  Ceylon. 

On  arriving  at  Madura,  at  8  p.  m.,  I  found  that  the  two  rooms  in 
the  station  for  the  use  of  travellers  were  taken,  so  that  I  was  obliged 
to  sleep  in  the  waiting-room  on  a  cane-bottomed  lounge. 

On  December  29th,  in  the  morning,  after  early  tea,  I  engaged  a 
guide  and  drove  to  the  Great  Temple.  This  is  considered  the  finest 
in  southern  India.  It  is  a  remarkable  building,  with  its  wonderful 
specimens  of  Hindu  carving,  its  thousand-pillared  hall,  and  its  curious 
tank,  where  in  the  dirty-green  water  the  devotees  cleanse  themselves 
thoroughly,  as  they  suppose,  before  worshipping.  Thence  we  drove 
out  to  see  an  enormous  banyan  tree,  which  has  over  a  hundred  large 
roots  growing  from  branches   that   have  bent   to  the  ground.     I    went 


I 


MADURA   A.\D   SERINGHAM.  109 

next  to  the  Teppa  Kulam,  or  great  tank,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  out- 
side the  city.  In  the  centre  of  the  tank  is  a  square  island  on  which 
stands  a  beautiful  temple.  Once  a  year,  when  the  idol  from  the  Great 
Temple  is  brought  here,  the  little  island  glitters  with  ten  thousand 
lights.  The  palace  of  Tirumala  is  a  splendid  specimen  oi  architecture. 
It  is  to  some  extent  a  restoration,  made  at  considerable  expense  by 
the  English,  and  is  used  for  government  purposes. 

Brass  work,  silver  work,  and  gold  work,  and  the  manufacture  of 
cloths  stained  in  a  peculiar  manner,  are  the  specialties  of  Madura. 
Many  of  the  natives  are  Christians,  mostly  Roman  Catholics  ;  but 
American  missionaries  are  at  work  in  this  district,  and  the  inhabit- 
ants who  have  relations  with  their  missions  number  about  seven 
thousand. 

After  breakfast  I  boarded  the  train  for  Trichinopoly,  taking  with 
me  Jacob,  my  guide,  who  is  a  Wesleyan  Methodist.  The  natives 
in  addressing  Europeans  always  call  them  "Master"  or  "Your  Hon- 
our," and  the  policemen  give  the  military  salute  to  foreigners.  At  6 
1*.  M.  we  arrived  at  Trichinopoly,  where  a  room  awaited  me,  for  which 
I  had  applied  by  telegram.  In  India  there  are  three  classes  of  tele- 
grams— urgent,  ordinary,  and  deferred — with  corresponding  grades  of 
cost.  At  the  refreshment  rooms  there  are  usually  two  bed-rooms,  and 
the  sojourner  can  spend  the  night  comfortably,  but  the  next  day  he 
must  move  on  ;    it  is  not   permitted  to  him  to  remain  longer. 

On  December  30th  I  took  a  carriage  early  in  the  morning,  and 
with  my  guide  Jacob  drove  first  to  the  temples  at  Seringham,  which 
is  an  island  lying  betv/een  the  Cauvery  and  Coloroon.  These  tem- 
ples cover  a  large  area,  and  I  spent  considerable  time  in  investigating 
them,  having  all  the  beautiful  jewels  that  are  used  to  decorate  the 
gods  brought  out  and  shown  to  me  by  the  custodian.  The  Hall 
of  Horses  contains  fine  specimens  of  carving.  In  the  streets  of  the 
temples  sacred  cows  wander  around,  and  elephants  are  led  by  their 
keepers. 

I    climbed   up   Trichinopoly    Rock,   which   is   like    a    huge    boulder 


I  lO 


IN   THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


rising  directly  out  of  the  plain,  two  hundred  and  seventy-three  feet 
above  the  land  at  its  base.  This  fortress  is  conspicuous  from  all 
sides,  and  is  a  most  picturesque  object.  It  is  ascended  by  a  series 
of  steps  in  a  covered  passage,  with  a  shorter  flight  of  steps  to  the 
Siva  temple  at  the  extreme  apex. 

Trichinopoly  has    been    the    scene  of  several  celebrated  sieges,  and 
it  played  an   important   part  in  the  Karnatic    struggles.     In    1881    the 


Trichinopoly  Rock  and   Tank. 


population  was  eighty-four  thousand  souls,  about  eleven  thousand  of 
whom  were  Christians.  In  the  principal  tank  there,  on  April  3, 
1826,  Bishop  Reginald  Heber,  author  of  the  grand  old  missionary 
hymn,  "  From  Greenland's  icy  mountains,"  was  drowned  while  bath- 
ing. At  the  temple  I  saw  many  Brahmans,  both  men  and  women. 
They  can  be   distinguished  readily  from   the  other  castes,  not  only  by 


TEMPLE  AND  PALACE  AT   TANJORE.  Ill 

their  dress  but  by  their  different  aspect  as  a  race.  At  first  the  caste 
feeling  in  India  strikes  an  ahen  as  very  strange.  While  coming 
down  the  long  flight  of  steps  at  Trichinopoly  Rock  we  met  a  num- 
ber of  Brahman  women,  very  poor,  and  with  hardly  any  clothing, 
carrying  up  brass  kettles  containing  water,  which  they  first  take  to 
the  temple  to  have  it  blessed  before  they  use  it  in  their  households. 
While  carrying  this  water  they  must  not  touch  or  even  approach  any 
one  of  another  caste ;  and  as  we  approached  these  poor  women  they 
called  out,  asking  us  not  to  come  too  near  them.  It  seemed  ridicu- 
lous that  these  wretched  creatures  should  be  afraid  of  contamination 
from  clean  and  respectable  foreigners. 

Going  back  to  the  station  I  proceeded  by  train  to  Tanjore,  an 
hour's  journey.  Tanjore  is  full  of  historical  interest,  and  its  great  tem- 
ple has  a  world-wide  reputation.  On  my  arrival  I  secured  a  cart 
drawn  by  a  fleet  pair  of  young  bullocks,  and  drove  first  to  the  temple. 
Here  I  was  surprised  to  find  how  superb  was  the  great  pagoda.  In 
size  and  in  the  beauty  of  its  carving  it  is  without  doubt  the  finest  of 
its  style  in  India.  Halfway  between  the  temple  entrance  and  the 
pagoda  is  the  celebrated  Nandi,  or  sacred  bull  of  Siva.  It  is  in  a 
crouching  posture  under  a  stone  canopy.  The  bull  is  sixteen  feet  in 
length,  seven  feet  in  width,  and  twelve  feet  two  inches  in  height,  meas- 
ured to  the  top  of  the  head.  It  is  cut  from  one  solid  block  of  syenite, 
and  the  anointing  of  it  with  oil  and  the  subsequent  polishing  it  gets 
daily   have  given  it  the  appearance  of  bronze. 

The  town  is  entirely  surrounded  by  a  fort  and  a  moat  constructed 
by  the  former  kings.  The  citadel  contains  a  small  Christian  church 
built  by  the  famous  missionary  of  early  times,  Schwartz,  whose  hand- 
some white  marble  memorial  was  shown  to  me  by  an  attendant. 

I  then  visited  the  palace  of  the  former  rajahs.  It  is  of  great  ex- 
tent, and  in  the  Nayakar  Durbar  Hall  is  a  fine  statue  in  marble  of 
the  Rajah  Sivaji.  This  is  placed  upon  the  huge  flat  stone  on  which 
the  Mahratta  kings  sat  when  administering  justice.  On  the  ramparts 
is  the  great  gun  made  of  rings  of  iron  and  brass.     This  gun  measures 


112 


IX   THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


twenty-four  feet  five  inches  in  lenj^th,  and  it  has  a  bore  of  two  feet  two 
inches.  It  has  been  fired  only  once.  It  survived  the  experiment,  but 
would  hardly  stand  another  trial.  Tanjore  is  well  worth  a  visit,  and  it 
is  surprising  that  the  railway  company  does  not  provide  rooms  in  the 
station  for  the  use  of  travellers.  There  is,  however,  a  dak  bungalow 
where  one  can  be  comfortable. 

At  8.15  I  took  the  train  for  Madras.  Among  the  hills  of  the 
Madras    Presidency   live   the   Todas.     They   are  tall,    well-proportioned, 

and  athletic,  and  have  a 
bold,  independent  manner. 
Their  means  of  livelihood 
is  tending  their  herds  of 
cattle.  The  chief  interest 
attaching  to  them  is  the 
fact  that  they  practise  poly- 
andry, all  the  brothers  of 
a  family  marrying  one 
woman  ;  and,  strange  to 
say,  the  children  of  these 
marriages  are  exceptionally 
fine  in  health  and  appearance.  It  is  amusing,  by  the  way,  to  see  the 
little  brown-skinned  babies  in  India  without  a  stitch  of  clothinpf.  As 
they  grow  older  they  are  particular  to  cover  themselves — not  with  a 
fig-leaf,  but  with  a  piece  of  cloth  about  the  same  size. 

The  night  journey  from  Tanjore  occupied  just  twelve  hours.  I 
arrived  at  Madras  at  8.15  a.  m.  The  Indian  railway  carriages  are  con- 
structed so  as  to  enable  each  first-class  passenger  to  recline  at  full 
length  during  night  journeys,  and  are  also  fitted  with  lavatories.  Pas- 
sengers must  provide  themselves  vrith  soap,  towels,  pillows,  and  rugs. 
My  first  experience  was  not  pleasant,  as  the  carriage  rattled  and  shook 
too  much  to  allow  the  possibility  of  sleep. 

On  arriving  at  the  station  in  Madras,  December  31st,  I  was  beset 
by  an  army  of  coolies,  each  wanting  to  carry  my  luggage.     The   result 


I\itti:h,  or  bitUock  cart. 


■i3 


&v 


MADRAS.  I  I 


was  that  I  paid  five  for  carryinfj  the  things  (about  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  pounds  weight),  one  for  showing  the  way  to  a  gliarry, 
and,  of  course,  the  coachman  and  footman — making  eight  in  all.  Sev- 
eral others  demanded  money  for  some  imaginary  service,  but  these  I 
refused.  How  different  are  the  people  here  from  those  of  Japan,  where 
everything  is  made  pleasant  for  travellers,  and  no  annoyances  are  ex- 
perienced !  I  remained  at  the  Elphinstone  Hotel  until  the  afternoon, 
when   I   took  a  gliarry  and  went  for  a  drive  through  the  town. 

Madras  is  not  a  compactlv  built  city ;  it  spreads  over  a  large  area. 
The  Government  buildings  are  fine,  but  the  general  appearance  is  not 
one  of  prosperity.  Fort  St.  George  contains  a  number  of  public 
offices  within  its  walls,  it  being  the  site  of  the  original  "factory"  or 
settlement  made  in  1639  by  Francis  Day.  Madras  was  the  ear- 
liest British  acquisition  in  India,  and  was  itself  known  at  first  as 
Fort  St.  George,  which  name  subsequently  gave  place  to  the  pres- 
ent one. 

The  most  remarkable  object  in  Madras  is  the  artificial  harbour, 
which  was  opened  for  shipping  in  1881.  It  is  built  of  huge  con- 
crete blocks,  and  shaped  into  two  arms  extending  at  right  angles 
from  the  beach,  for  there  was  no  natural  harbour  whatever.  This 
cost  a  large  sum  of  money,  but  it  has  been  of  immense  advantage,  as 
it  not  only  provides  safe  moorings  for  the  vessels  of  all  nations,  but 
has  made  possible  the  construction  of  an  iron  pier  for  landing  pas- 
sengers and  goods.  Formerly  this  landing  was  effected  in  masullah 
boats,  through  the  surf. 

I  had  received  the  proffer  of  the  hospitalities  of  the  Madras  Club, 
which  occupies  a  handsome  house  with  a  large  number  of  bedrooms, 
but  I  preferred  the  independence  of  hotel  life.  At  sunset  I  went  to 
hear  the  band  play  on  the  Marine  Promenade,  which  runs  directly 
along  the  Bay  of  Bengal,  separated  therefrom  by  a  sand  beach  only. 
It  is  delightful  there  in  the  evening,  and  the  promenade  is  frequented 
by  the  European  residents  and  the  rich  natives.  It  was  an  interesting 
scene,   this  mixture   of  the  descendants  of  the   English  conquerors  and 


114  /'V    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 

of  those  who  had  been  subjugated.     The  Indian  gentlemen  were  riehly 
dressed,  and  each  was  accompanied  by  several  servants. 

My  room  at  the  Elphinstone  Hotel  was  on  the  ground  floor,  and 
soon  after  my  arrival  I  was  visited  by  several  snake-charmers,  jug- 
glers, and  sword-swallowers.  Some  of  these  are  very  expert  in  their 
tricks,  one  of  which — to  make  the  mango  tree  grow  from  a  seed — 
is  wonderfully  well  done. 

I  had  been  obliged  to  engage  a  ''  boy,"  as  a  servant  is  called,  at 
the  hotel  immediately  on  my  arrival,  this  procedure  being  expected 
here.  The  guests  are  supposed,  too,  to  bring  their  own  pillows  and 
blankets  or  rugs.  The  charge  for  working  the  punkah  (a  large  fan) 
all  night  is  about  two  annas,  equal  to  four  cents.  I  slept  well  that 
night,  after  the  shaking  up  in  the  train  I   had  the  night  before. 

On  New -Year's  day,  1892,  I  was  awakened  early  by  a  salute 
fired  in  honour  of  the  New  Year,  and  soon  afterward  my  boy 
brought  me  chota  hazri  and  prepared  my  bath.  A  great  many  na- 
tives were  congregated  about  the  hotel,  and  I  learned  that  they  had 
come  with  little  gifts  to  their  patrons,  of  course  expecting  a  sub- 
stantial New-Year's  present  in  return.  Every  place  being  closed  on 
account  of  the  holidays,  I  spent  the  morning  quietly  in  reading  up 
India.  The  principal  street  in  Madras  is  Mount  Road,  and  here 
are  the  best  retail  shops,  in  large,  detached  houses,  in  the  centre  of  a 
compound  or  garden.  I  never  have  seen  this  arrangement  else- 
where. St.  George's  Anglican  Cathedral,  the  old  Botanical  Gardens, 
the  Madras  Club,  and  the  various  hotels  are  also  on  this  road. 

The  People's  Park  and  Robinson's  Park  are  delightful  resorts  for 
the  public's  relaxation  and  pleasure ;  and  surrounding  Government 
House,  which  is  a  stately  building,  there  is  a  fine  palm  garden. 

A  pretty  drive  from  the  city  takes  one  to  Little  Mount  and  the 
spot  where  St.  Thomas  the  apostle  is  said  to  have  been  martyred 
(a.  d.  68)  by  infuriated  Brahmans,  who,  after  pelting  him  with  stones, 
transfixed  him  on  a  spear.  On  the  summit  of  the  mount  is  a  chapel 
over  a  cave,  wherein  the    saint  is  said    to    have    lived.      His    body    is 


A  snakc-charnur. 


ATADRAS.  I  I  5 


buried,  tradition  av^crs,  under  the  Portuguese  cathedral  of  St.  Thome, 
erected  in    1606. 

Madras  has  probably  more  Christians  in  proportion  to  its  popula- 
tion than  any  other  Indian  city.  Out  of  432,000  persons,  about  50,- 
000  belon<r  to  the  various  denominations. 

At  5  p.  M.  I  drove  through  the  beautiful  grounds  of  Government 
House  to  Fort  St.  George,  which  is  always  garrisoned  by  English 
regiments,  for  even  now  the  native  troops  are  not  entirely  trusted.  I 
was  much  interested  to  see,  in  St.  Mary's  Church,  a  very  old  build- 
ing within  the  fort,  the  memorial  of  Major-General  Sir  John  Bur- 
goyne,  and  outside,  facing  the  barracks,  the  marble  statue  of  Lord 
Cornwallis,  surrounded  by  captured  bronze  cannon.  The  former  well- 
known  name  suggests  that  of  the  other  General  John  Burgoyne. 
Both  these  names  are  familiar  in  the  United  States,  linked  with  great 
disasters  to  Britain's  prestige  and  to  her  hopes  of  control  in  the  New 
Work! — the  surrenders  at  Saratoga  and  at  Yorktown — whereby  the 
independence  of  the  British  colonies  was  assured,  and  the  birth  of  a 
new  nation,  destined  to  be  greater  and  richer  than  its  progenitor,  be- 
came an  accomplished  fact. 

From  the  fort  I  drove  along  the  Marine  Promenade,  the  day  (a 
yiVt'-day)  being  particularly  gay  and  interesting.  This  drive,  with  its 
walk,  extends  over  two  miles  along  the  sea,  somewhat  like  the 
Promenade  des  Anglais  at  Nice,  and  is  a  most  pleasant  part  of 
Madras.  I  remained  enjoying  the  cool  breezes  until  it  became  quite 
dark,  and  the  young  moon  and  the  stars  twinkling  in  the  heavens 
were  to  be  seen,  when  I  returned  to  the  hotel  just  in  time  for  an 
eight-o'clock  thnncr. 

On  Sunday,  January  3d,  in  the  morning  I  attended  service  at  St. 
George's  Cathedral.  This  is  a  capacious  building  of  Grecian  architec- 
ture. The  interior  is  white.  On  the  walls  are  many  memorial  tal)- 
lets  of  English  officials.  Punkahs,  worked  without,  were  kept  in  mo- 
tion during  service.  The  boy  choir,  principally  composed  of  Eura- 
sians,   executed    the    music    remarkably    well ;    but    Asiatics    have    not 


Il6  JN    THE    TRACK  OF   THE  SUN. 

the  sweet  voices  and  taste  for  music  that  the  negroes  have.  To- 
ward sunset  I  went  for  a  walk  along  the  beach,  and  spent  some 
time  in  watching  the  natives  fishing  in  the  surf  on  their  rafts,  which 
are  made  of  four  logs  lashed  together. 

The  depreciation  of  silver  is  a  great  injury  to  India,  China,  and, 
in  fact,  all  Asiatic  countries,  where  it  is  the  sole  currency.  It  seems 
odd  that  England  does  not  join  with  the  United  States  in  adopting  a 
bimetallic  currency.  All  Europeans  complain  that  the  payment  in 
gold  for  everything  they  buy  at  home  adds  largely  to  the  price. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  the  remonetization  of  silver  would  add 
greatly  to  the  prosperity  and  wealth  of  England's  Indian  empire. 

On  Monday,  January  4th,  at  eleven  o'clock,  I  took  a  niasiillah 
boat  with  ten  rowers,  and,  after  some  difficulty  in  getting  through  the 
surf,  finally  reached  the  Messagerie  Maritime  steamer  Nieman,  of 
about  eighteen  hundred  tons,  Captain  Louis  Flager.  We  left  the 
harbour  of  Madras  at  2  p.  m.  on  our  way  for  Calcutta.  On  board  I 
found,  to  my  pleasure  and  surprise,  a  half-dozen  passengers  whom  I 
had  met  on  the  Rosetta.  There  was  also  on  board  Monsieur  Clement- 
Thomas,  the  French  Governor  of  Pondicherry,  going  for  a  visit  to 
Calcutta.  On  Tuesday  the  weather  was  delightful,  compared  with 
that  of  Ceylon  and  southern  India.  I  had  a  long  talk  with  two 
Brahman  gentlemen  in  the  Government  service,  who  explained  the 
caste  system  of  India  most  clearly.  They  were  young  men  of  fine 
attainments,  and  thev  understood  thoroughly  the  history  and  politics 
of  both  Europe  and  the  United  States. 


1^^!»i'^ 


CHx\PTER    VIII 


Ur    THE    GANGES. 


X   the  early  mornintj  of  Thurs- 
day, January   7th,  we  anchored 
at    the    mouth    of   the    Hooghly  •  1 

River,  about  eight)^  miles  from 
Calcutta,  off  a  low,  sandy  shore  resembling 
Fire  Island,  near  New  York.  We  were  obliged 
to  wait  until  the  tide  served,  at  about  i  2.30  p.  m., 
whereupon  we  continued  up  the  river  to  Dia- 
mond Bay  and  anciiorcd  for  the  night.  The  Ganges  and  the  Brah- 
maputra unite  their  waters  and  flow  into  the  Bay  of  Bengal  by 
several  mouths,  the  principal  one  being  the  Hooghly;  and  in  the 
morning  I  took  my  bath  in  Ganges  water,  which  the  Hindus  regard 
as  sacred.  The  shores,  as  we  proceeded  up  to  Diamond  Harbour, 
were  low,  in  some  places  the  land  being  protected  from  inundation 
by  an  embankment,  or,  as  it  would  be  called  on  the  Mississippi,  a 
levee. 

The    steamer    Niemen    I    found    a    well-managed    and    comfortable 
ship,  although  it  was  small,  and    I   believe  the  universal    testimony   is 


Il8  /A'    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 

favourable  to  the  Messageries  Maritime  lines.  The  service  is  excel- 
lent and  the  food  good. 

On  Friday  morning  at  daybreak  we  attempted  to  resume  our  voy- 
age, but,  to  our  disgust,  we  found  that  the  ship  was  grounded.  With 
much  difficulty  she  got  into  the  channel  and  went  on.  On  the  banks 
of  the  Hooghly  are  many  jute  plantations,  and  near  the  city  are 
factories  for  the  preparation  of  the  raw  material.  At  eleven  o'clock 
the  Niemen  was  attached  to  her  buoys  at  Calcutta.  As  Madras  was 
the  place  at  which  I  had  embarked  on  the  ship,  I  was  not  subjected  to 
any  customs  examination,  and  as  soon  as  possible  I  secured  a  biid- 
gerow,  was  rowed  to  the  ghat,  or  landing-place,  and  went  immediately 
to  the  Great  Eastern   Hotel. 

Calcutta  has  been  described  as  a  city  of  palaces,  and  the  various 
public  buildings,  such  as  the  Government  House,  the  residence  of  the 
viceroy,  the  Belvidere,  the  residence  of  the  Lieutenant  Governor  of 
Bengal,  the  High  Court,  the  Imperial  Museum,  and  St.  Paul's  Ca- 
thedral, are  imposing  edifices.  The  streets  are  well  paved  and  clean. 
The  principal  ones  are  those  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Maidan, 
the  Chowringhee  Road,  and  Old  Courthouse  Street.  In  the  Zoo- 
logical Garden  are  some  fine  specimens  of  Bengal  tigers,  besides 
other  animals  indigenous  to  India.  Calcutta,  when  it  was  settled  in 
1690,  was  called  by  the  English  Fort  William.  The  site  of  the  famous 
Black  Hole  and  the  old  fort  can  now  hardly  be  traced,  for  the  pres- 
ent city  is  entirely  modern. 

As  soon  as  possible  I  secured  the  services,  as  valet  or  boy,  of  a 
Portuguese  Eurasian  named  Pedro,  and  after  tiffin  took  a  victoria 
and  visited  the  Zoological  Gardens,  and  the  famous  Temple  of  Kali, 
from  whom  the  city  of  Calcutta  derives  its  name.  This  Hindu 
goddess  is  the  patron  of  the  Thugs,  and  is  known  as  The  Black  or 
Bloody  One.  She  is  represented  as  dripping  with  blood,  with  a 
necklace  of  infants'  skulls,  is  the  deity  of  famine  and  pestilence,  and 
is  said  to  be  appeasable  only  by  bloody  sacrifices. 

There  were  many  worshippers  when  we  arrived  at  the  temple,  but 


Drauiing  toddy  in  Bengal. 


CALCUTTA.  119 


a  rupee  given  to  one  of  the  priests  was  the  cause  of  a  general  exodus 
on  the  part  of  the  assemblage,  so  that  I  was  able  to  see  the  idol — 
from  the  outside,  for  the  temple  is  considered  too  sacred  for  a  for- 
eigner to  enter.  The  surroundings  were  dirty,  and  in  my  disgust  at 
these  I  could  not  lielp  thinking  what  a  curse  religious  creeds  have 
been  to  all  countries  from  the  earliest  times.  A  trip  to  a  heathen 
country  would  be  a  good  education  lor  many  a  narrow-minded  clergy- 
man of  Europe   or  America. 

On  our  return  we  followed  the  beautiful  drive  along  the  river, 
passing  Fort  William.  Here  we  saw  all  the  beauty  and  fashion  of 
India's  capital,  both  European  and  native.  They  were  taking  the 
afternoon  drive,  or  riding,  or  engaged  with  cricket  or  golf  in  the 
Maidan.  At  the  Eden  Garden  a  military  band  was  playing,  and 
many  of  the  carriage  occupants  alighted  for  a  half  hour  to  listen  to 
the  music. 

There  is  a  curious  industry  in  the  streets  of  Calcutta :  men  carry 
water-pipes  for  the  accommodation  of  passers-by,  and  the  wayfarer, 
upon  payment  of  a  small  sum,  may  stop  for  a  moment  and  take  a 
few  whiffs  of  tobacco. 

At  dinner,  on  the  first  night  of  my  arrival,  I  discovered  that  in 
India  champagne  frappt'  is  usually  known  as  "Simpkins" — for  what 
reason   I  am  unable  to  say. 

On  Saturday  morning  we  drove  to  the  Botanical  Gardens,  which 
are  at  a  considerable  distance  from  the  city.  These  are  well  worth  a 
visit,  being  a  most  attractive  pleasure-ground.  The  great  banyan  tree 
is  the  largest  I  have  seen  ;  it  has  two  hundred  and  thirty-two  air 
roots,  and  its  diameter,  inclusive  of  the  roots,  is  three  hundred  feet. 
The  original  trunk  is  about  a  hundred  years  old  and  is  still  standing. 
Returning  from  the  Botanical  Gardens,  I  looked  through  the  admi- 
rable collection  of  the  Imperial  Museum,  and,  having  purchased  bed- 
ding and  pillows — which  it  is  necessary  to  carry  in  India — at  four 
o'clock  I  left  Calcutta  from  Sealdah  Station  by  the  mail  train  on  the 
Eastern  Bengal    State    Railway.     This  road  is  of  standard  gauge,  well 


I20  /.V    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 

Iiuilt,  ballasted  with  stone,  and  laid  witli  iron  ties,  while  the  telegraph 
poles  are  of  sheet  iron  rolleil  up  and  riveted  together.  At  Damook- 
dea  Ghat  the  passengers  were  transferred  to  a  large  stern-wheel  steam- 
boat, which  carried  them  over  the  Ganges,  nearly  three  miles  across. 
Dinner  was  served  on  board.  We  landed  at  Para  Ghat,  the  begin- 
ning of  the  Northern  Bengal  State  Railway,  the  gauge  of  which  is 
known  as  metre-gauge,  being  three  feet,  three  and  five-eighths  inches 
wide.  I  secured  a  compartment,  had  Pedro  make  up  the  bed,  and 
rested  fairly  well  until  we  reached  Siliguri,  at  7  a.  m.  on  Sunday, 
January  loth.  Here  came  a  change  to  the  Darjeeling  Himalayan 
Railway — a  remarkable  engineering  work,  comparable  with  the  St. 
Gothard  or  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railway.  Its  gauge  is  only 
two  feet,  the  same  as  that  of  the  little  road  in  the  Jardin  des 
Plantes  in  Paris,  and  it  follows  the  splendid  cart-road,  though  with 
frequent  deviations.  The  speed  of  the  train  is  but  seven  miles  an 
hour,  the  ascent  per  hour  being  one  thousand  feet.  The  little  car- 
riages, some  open  and  others  closed,  and  the  tiny  engine,  looked  like 
those  of  a  toy  train.  The  ascent  begins  after  seven  miles  of  travel 
through  the  Terai  plains,  and  from  that  point  it  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  rides  that  I  can  remember,  similar  to  the  trip  from  Vera 
Cruz  to  the  City  of  Mexico.  Lofty  mountains  tower  above,  while 
dense  forest  and  jungles  spread  away  to  the  right  and  left.  At  two 
o'clock  we  stopped  at  Kurseong  for  luncheon,  and  the  keen  cold  air 
(for  by  this  time  I  was  wearing  my  heaviest  winter  overcoat  and  was 
wrapped  in  a  heavy  rug)  had  given  me  a  sharp  appetite.  This  point 
is  4,860  feet  above  sea  level,  and  twenty  miles  from  Darjeeling.  In 
two  hours  more  we  arrived  there,  and  we  walked  up  the  steep  hill  to 
the  Woodlands  Hotel.  1  had  telegraphed  for  a  room,  and  it  was 
now  ready,  with  a  soft-coal  fire  burning  in  it.  This  I  found  very 
comfortable,  as  the  altitude  is  7,200  feet  and  the  weather  was  frosty. 
Darjeeling  is  the  sanitarium  not  only  of  Calcutta  but  of  the  whole  of 
Bengal,  and  scattered  about  it  are  many  beautiful  villas,  mostly  built 
of  stone    in    European    fashion.      The    temperature    never    rises    above 


■i; 


I 


DARJEEUXG,   IN    THE  HILLS. 


121 


78°  nor  falls  below  30°.  The  pleasure  during  the  summer  season  of 
the  change  from  the  terrible  heat  of  the  plains  to  this  bracing  air  may 
be  imagined. 

In  conversation  with  me,  an  Anglo-Indian  drew  a  most  unpleasant 
picture  of  the  state  of  European  society  throughout  India.  The 
wives  and  children  of  English  officials  are  sent  every  summer  to 
Simla,  Darjeeling,  and  other  cool  spots  in  the  hills;  and  freedom  from 
home  restraint  soon  has  its  effect  on  the  ladies,  especially  the  young 
wives,  who  go  step  by  step  from 
innocent  flirtation  until  thev  forget 
their  marriage  vows.  The  manners 
prevailing  at  these  resorts  are  in- 
formal, and  the  effect,  it  is  said,  is 
very  demoralizing.  I  have  heard 
similar  stories ;  but  no  doubt  they 
are  much  exaggerated,  for  immoral- 
ity is  exceptional  among  AngU - 
Saxon  women  in  every  clime. 

Sunday  being  the  market  day,  as 
soon  as  I  got  my  room  arranged  I 
went  down  to  the  bazaar,  which  is 
one  of  the  sights  of  India.  It  was 
thronged  with  hill  people — Lepchas, 
Thibetans,  Nepaulese,  and  other  races 

and  tribes — the  Mongolian  cast  of  countenance  predominating.  Bud- 
dhist lamas  also  are  frequently  seen  in  the  crowd.  These  hill  people 
are  polyandrous,  and  in  many  instances  one  woman  lives  in  the  hut 
with  five  men.  The  women  are  large,  and  iiave  smiling  faces ;  they 
usually  wear  several  rows  of  turquoise  and  coarse  beads  around  their 
necks,  enormous  rings  of  the  same  style  in  their  ears,  and  on  their 
fingers  a  dozen  silver  rings. 

Monday  morning,  before  daybreak,  Pedro  called  me  and  brought  in 

tea,  and    after   dressing    hurriedly  I  set    out    for    Tiger    Hill,   six    miles 
25 


The  MaJia>ajah  of  Bui nuih. 


122  IN   THE    TRACK  OF   THE  SUN. 

distant.  It  was  six  o'clock,  and  still  (juitc  dark.  In  about  an  hour 
and  a  quarter  we  reached  our  destination.  The  road  all  the  way  had 
been  extremely  picturesque ;  and  my  first  view  of  Kinchinjunga  was 
the  sublimest  scene  I  have  ever  witnessed.  The  Matterhorn,  the 
Jungfrau,  Mont  Blanc,  and  Mount  Pilatus  were  as  nothing  compared 
with  Gaurisanker  (Mount  Everest)  and  Kinchinjunga.  The  view  ex- 
tends beyond  the  boundaries  of  the  Indian  Empire,  for  some  of  the 
mountains  seen  are  in  Thibet. 

The  spectator,  standing  at  his  finest  view-point,  looks  north  and 
northwest.  On  the  right,  due  north,  is  Kinchinjunga,  28,165  feet  high, 
and  forty-five  miles  away.  On  the  left,  northwest,  is  Mount  Everest, 
29,002  feet  high,  and  a  hundred  and  seven  miles  distant.  Between 
these  two  highest  mountains  in  the  world  the  sky  is  serrated  by  a 
lofty  white  line  of  perpetual  snow.  The  middle  distance  is  filled  with 
mountain  ranges,  mostly  snowy,  which  are  only  less  gigantic  than 
their  great  neighbours ;  and  in  the  foreground  of  the  picture  we  look 
upon  heavily  wooded  hills,  with  rivers  winding  among  them  and  occa- 
sionally plunging  through  deep  gorges.  The  lamas  have  their  monas- 
teries on  many  of  the  peaks.  The  Jelepla  Pass,  through  which  trade 
is  carried  on  with  Thibet,  is  open  all  the  year  round. 

In  the  afternoon  I  took  a  "dandv,"  which  is  a  variety  of  palan- 
quin, with  four  coolies  as  carriers,  and  went  to  the  Bhutea  Bustee, 
or  village,  two  miles  from  the  Woodlands  Hotel.  I  stopped  at  the 
Buddhist  temple,  where  the  attendant  lamas  showed  me  prayer  wheels 
in  motion.  Buddhism  originated  in  India  at  Benares,  but  it  is  now 
practically  extinct  there;  and  the  few  temples  along  the  northern 
frontier  are  quite  different  in  the  beliefs  and  practices  in  vogue  at 
their  altars  from  those  of  Japan,  China,  and  Siam,  while  those  in  Cey- 
lon differ  from  all  the  others.  On  Tuesday  morning  we  had  another 
splendid  view  of  Kinchinjunga  from  the  hotel,  and  at  1 1  a.  m.  we  took 
our  leave  of  Darjeeling,  retracing  our  route,  and  arriving  at  Calcutta 
at   1 1.20  p.  M. 

Wednesday,  January    13th,   I    rested    quietly  at    the    Great  Eastern 


c; 


BENARES. 


Hotel  until  late  in  the  afternoon,  when  I  took  a  deliofhtful  drive  in 
the  Maidan,  meeting  manv  of  the  English  and  natives  of  distinction, 
and  left  in  the  night  train,  at  nine  o'clock,  for  Benares.  One  dis- 
agreeable feature  of  Indian  tours  is  the  necessitv  of  niirht  travel  • 
frequently  there  are  no  day  trains.  I  took  my  departure  from  the 
Howrah  Station,  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  which  is  crossed  on 
a  handsome  bridge. 

On  Thursday  morning,  at  twelve,  we  arrived  at  Moghal  Sarai,  when 
we  changed  from  the  East  Indian  to  the  Oude  and  Rohilkund  Rail- 
way, and  in  forty-five  minutes  we  arrived  at  Benares,  and  were  soon 
comfortably  settled  at  Clark's  Family  Hotel.  The  East  Indian  Rail- 
way is  very  like  a  railway  in  England,  and  at  the  refreshment  rooms 
excellent  meals  are  furnished  by  G.  F.  Kellner  &  Co.,  whose  estab- 
lishments are  managed  in  much  the  same  manner  as  those  of  Spiers 
&  Pond,  wiio  have  monopolized  this  business  on  the  railway  systems 
of  Great  Britain.  Benares  is  the  fifth  in  size  among  Indian  cities,  and 
is  noted  for  its  ornamental  brass  work  as  well  as  for  its  embroideries 
and  brocades.  Only  a  few  hundred  Christians  reside  there,  the  rest  of 
the  population  being  Hindus  and  Mohammedans.  In  all  probability 
it  is  the  most  ancient  town  in  India,  and  it  bears  the  same  relation 
to  Brahmanism  that  Jerusalem  bears  to  the  Christian  faith  and  Mecca 
to  Islamism.  Benares  also  was  the  birthplace  of  Buddhism,  and 
thence  Buddha  sent  forth  his  missionaries  to  the  other  nations  of 
Asia,  until  his  system  of  religious  belief  was  professed  by  half  the 
population  of  the  world.  The  Buddhism  of  Benares  ceased  to  exist 
many  centuries  ago,  but  the  ruins  of  some  of  its  sacred  buildings  still 
remain  at  Sarnath,  about  four  miles  out  of  the  town. 

Benares  is  on  the  Ganges,  that  sacred  stream  which  every  de- 
vout Hindu  wishes  to  visit  before  he  dies,  therein  to  wash  away 
his  sins.  No  matter  what  crime  he  has  committed,  a  bath  in  these 
waters  cleanses  his  soul  anil  renders  his  future  life  happy.  Some 
pilgrims  follow  the  river  from  its  source  to  its  mouth  and  then  back 
again.      Ganges   water    is    distributed    throughout    India    as    the    most 


124 


IN   THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


precious   gift  that  a  Hindu    can    bestow  upon  a  cherished    relative    or 
friend. 

Most  of  the  temples  and  shrines  in  Benares  are  devoted  to  the 
worship  of  Siva  and  of  his  terrible  wife,  who  is  known  under  differ- 
ent   names.      The    only    spots    ^acred    to    Visimu,  the    other    principal 

Hindu  god,  are  the  famous  Well  of  Mari- 
karnika  and  the  stone  representing  his 
footprints.  Vishnu  is  worshipped  by  the 
educated  class  of  Hindus,  and  is  supposed 
to  possess  the  highest  traits  of  character, 
while  Siva  is  a  terrible,  cruel,  and  blood- 
thirsty deity,  the  god  of  the  disgusting 
fakirs,  who  disfigure  themselves,  practise 
horrid  rites,  and  eat  carrion  and  excrement. 
After  a  good  hot  bath  and  an  excellent 
luncheon  at  the  hotel  I  drove,  with  a  local 
native  guide,  about  three  miles  to  the  river, 
took  a  budgcrow,  and  was  rowed  up,  stop- 
ping along  the  way  to  see  the  Nepaulese 
temple,  ascending  the  minaret  of  the  mosque 
built  by  the  Great  Mogul  Aurungzebe, 
among  the  numerous  Hindu  fanes,  and 
seeing  various  other  objects  of  interest. 

The  mosque  is  a  wonderful  piece  of 
architecture.  Its  foundation  begins  far  be- 
low the  bed  of  the  river  and  is  very  mass- 
ive. From  this  rise  the  walls  of  the  square 
edifice  in  graceful  outline,  and  crowning  all  are  the  dumes  and  min- 
arets. These  minarets  are  slender  stems  of  stone,  only  eight  feet  in 
diameter,  and  rise  to  the  height  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  from  the 
floor  of  the  mosque,  or  about  three  hundred  feet  above  the  river. 

Returning,  we  stopped  for  an  hour  and  viewed  the  whole  process 
of  cremating  the  dead    at  the   Burning  Ghat.     The    body  of  a  person 


Fakir,   or  reiii^ious  mendicant. 


fee 


^ 


« 

■^ 


s^ 


^ 


CREMATION  OX   THE  GANGES.  125 

deceased,  half  an  hour  after  death,  is  brought  from  his  home  to  the 
Ganges,  wrapped  in  a  cloth  and  secured  upon  two  bamboo  poles 
carried  by  coolies.  The  body  is  at  once  dipped  in  the  river,  to 
cleanse  it  from  sin  ;  it  is  then  laid  on  the  shore,  and  a  pyre  of  wood 
is  constructed.  Then  the  nearest  relative  approaches  with  a  barber, 
who  shaves  the  face  of  the  corpse,  and  after  that  shaves  the  chief 
mourner,  who  then  takes  a  bath  in  the  Ganges.  Coming  out  of  the 
water,  the  chief  mourner,  with  assistance,  places  the  body^  on  the  pyre, 
covering  it  up  carefully  with  wood;  and  then,  from  fire  kept  for  the 
purpose,  fetching  on  a  handful  of  straw  some  coals,  he  walks  around 
the  pyre  five  times.  When  he  has  done  this  he  applies  the  torch  to 
the  wood  until  it  burns  briskly.  At  the  end  of  two  hours  the  bones 
and  ashes  are  thrown  into  the  river,  the  cinders  are  swept  up,  and  the 
place  is  arranged  for  another  cremation.  The  surroundings  are  dis- 
gusting, and  dogs  and  crows  are  usually  looking  on,  attracted  by  the 
burning  flesh. 

I  remained  until  the  sun  went  down,  and  the  scene  was  weird 
and  strange.  As  soon  as  night  sets  in  many  women  come  down  to 
the  ghats,  burn  camphor  as  an  offering  to  the  Ganges,  and  pray  for 
strong  and  healthy  male  offspring. 

On  Friday  morning,  Januaiy  15th,  we  drove  early  to  the  river 
and  embarked  in  a  budgcroiv,  which  was  rowed  slowly  past  the  whole 
front  of  the  city.  The  Ganges  was  filled  with  pilgrims  washing  them- 
selves in  the  holy  water.  This  was  a  remarkable  sight.  There  were 
thousands  of  natives,  in  all  conditions  of  life  and  of  all  ages,  including 
the  fakirs,  cripples,  and  holy  Brahman  beggars.  Roaming  about  among 
them  were  dogs,  pigs,  sheep,  goats,  and,  of  course,  many  of  the  sacred 
bulls  and  cows.  At  the  Burning  Ghat  upright  stones  were  pointed 
out  to  me  as  marking  the  spots  where  in  former  times  widows  had 
been  burned  with  their  husbands.  This  practice  was  stopped  by  the 
British  authorities,  and  widows  are  now  allowed  to  live  in  peace  ;  but 
they  must  have  their  heads  always  closely  shaved.  Their  appearance 
is  very  queer,  especiallv  that  of  the  younger  ones. 


126 


IX   THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


In  this  trip  we  occupied  more  than  three  hours,  going  back  to  the 
Ghat  whence  we  started.  We  then  took  breakfast  and  went  to  the 
native  town,  visiting,  besides  many  shops  in  the  bazaar,  the  Golden 
Temple  (the  most  sacred  spot  in  Benares),  the  "  Well  of  Knowledge," 
and  the  Cow  Temple.  All  these  were  disappointing,  being  small, 
and  dirty  beyond  description.  After  this  we  drove  out  to  the  Durga 
Temple,  known  to  Europeans  generally  as  the  Monkey  Temple.  I 
bought  some  parched  corn  and  amused  myself  by  feeding  a  group  of 
monkeys,  some  of  which  were  very  large.  Formerly  there  were  two 
thousand  here,  but  they  were  such  a  pest  to  the  neighbourhood  that 
the  authorities  transported  all  but  about  thirty  to  a  neighbouring 
jungle. 

just  before  leaving,  I  saw  a  goat  sacrificed  by  a  priest.  This  is 
one  of  the  few   Hindu  temples  where  animals    are  thus    offered  up  to 

the  gods.  The  priest  cut 
m 


off  the  goat's  head  with  one 
stroke    of    a    large    sword. 
The  head  was  placed  on  a 
block    or  altar,  after  which 
the    carcass,    except    a    cer- 
tain   part    retained    as    toll, 
was    returned    to    the    per- 
son   who    made    the    offer- 
ing.    When    pious    Hindus 
think   it    is    time    to    kill  a 
goat,  instead  of   doing    the 
slaughtering    themselves    thev    have    the    animal    decapitated    at    the 
Durga    Temple,    thus    propitiating    the    god,  and  the  flesh    is    restored 
to  them  to  be  used  for  food. 

Returning  to  the  river,  we  took  a  boat  up  the  Ganges  to  the  pal- 
ace of  the  Maharajah  of  Benares,  and,  after  sending  in  my  card,  I  was 
courteously  received  and  shown  through  the  state  apartments  by  a 
secretary.     The  palace  is  on    the    opposite    side  of  the  river  from   Be- 


Bullock  cart,   Boian's. 


— ««ft- 


«£*■*      - 


i' 


„Wi."k3Sf**» 


\.      ■! 


^ 


■I     -^ 


■5 

0, 


HINDU  MAXIMS.  1 27 


nares,  on  the  edge  of  the  water,  and  is  really  a  fortified  castle,  with  a 
detachment  of  the  Maharajah  soldiers  on  guard  at  the  gate. 

This  finished  the  sight-seeing  for  the  day,  and  I  am  sorry  to  admit 
that  I  was  disappointed,  on  the  whole,  in  the  city,  the  temples,  and 
the  mosques.  As  for  Brahmanism,  it  is  too  vile  for  description,  the 
emblem  of  Siva  being  a  fit  symbol  of  its  disgusting  character.  Its 
principles  and  practices  are  degrading,  and  it  would  be  a  great  boon 
to  India  if  these  should  be  modified  or  abolished  by  the  British  rulers, 
as  were  sicttcc,  or  widow  immolation,  and  child  marriages.  The  break- 
ing down  of  caste  is  absolutely  essential  to  the  progress  of  civiliza- 
tion among  the  nativ'cs.  But  prejudice  is  still  so  strong,  that  those 
natives  who  are  educated  and  refined  are  afraid  to  come  out  openly 
and  denounce  a  condition  of  affairs  that  they  do  not  hesitate  to  con- 
demn in  conversation  with  Europeans.  A  few  Hindu  maxims,  trans- 
lated from  the  Kural  of  Tirukulkr,  will  indicate  the  low  moral  tone 
that  finally  results  from  such  a  religion : 

Blessed  the  man  who  never  lacks 
Asafoetida,  ghee,  and  jacks. 

Cursed  tiie  man,  whatever  his  worth. 
Who  is  poor  in  purse  and  low  in  birth. 

The  unity  of  the  Tamilian  nation 
Is  cemented  by  caste  and  litigation. 

What  "master  pleases"  be  careful  to  do, 
And  be  cheating  him  while  he's  beating  you. 

'Tis  good  to  eat ;  but  keep  your  pice. 
And,  if  you  can  manage  it,  steal  the  rice. 

When  you  hear  the  cry  "  Murder  1  "  run  away; 
The  police  will  take  you  up  if  you  stay. 

If  you  beat  a  man,  swear  he  beat  you; 
And  to  his  one  witness  bring   you   two. 

That  man  is  a  fool,  whoever  he  be. 
Who   would   not   do   anything  for  a   rupee. 


128  IN   THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 

If  you  don't  wish  them  to  annihilate  you, 
Conciliate  devils — and  white  men  too ! 

A  botheration,  a  useless  vexation. 
To  the  Tamil  nation  is  sanitation. 

Municipalities  always  tell   lies: 

The  census  is  only  a  tax  in  disguise. 

Why  tax   us  for  bridges  and  roads?     In  our  lives 
We  need  but  three  things — gold,  lands,  and  wives. 

To  cook  for  man,  woman  chiefly  was  meant : 
Ignorance  is  her  best  ornament. 

Saturday  morning  a  juggler  and  snake-charmer  appeared  at  my 
door  and  informed  me  that  he  had  succeeded  in  catching  several 
cobras,  as  I  had  told  him  to  do,  and  that  he  was  ready  to  show  me 
how  quickly  his  little  mongoose  could  kill  them.  He  had  the  snakes, 
which  were  large,  in  an  earthen  jar,  and  took  out  four  in  succession, 
placing  them  on  the  ground ;  at  once  the  mongoose  seized  them,  and 
after  a  short  struggle  dispatched  the  reptile,  but  not  without  getting 
several  severe  bites  himself  After  this  the  juggler  gave  me  an  ex- 
hibition of  his  tricks,  and  I  found  him  an  expert  at  his  trade. 

At  12.45  I  l^ft  Benares  on  the  Oude  and  Rohilkund  Railway. 
The  country,  like  the  greater  part  of  India,  was  as  flat  as  a  Western 
prairie,  and  the  soil  parched  and  dusty.  For  about  six  months  of 
the  year  there  is  no  rainfall  whatever.  At  7.30  p.  m.  I  arrived  at 
Lucknow.  Pedro,  my  boy,  got  all  my  luggage  together — for  some 
was  in  the  carriage  with  me  and  some  in  the  van — and  I  drove  to 
Hill's  Imperial   Hotel  just  in  time  for  an  eight-o'clock  dinner. 

On  Sunday,  January  17th,  I  went  forth  at  an  early  hour  with  a 
Mohammedan  guide  and  drove  first  to  the  Residency,  which  is  a 
spot  of  deep  interest  to  every  Anglo-Saxon  American  as  well  as  to 
Britons  ;  for  we  Americans,  being  of  the  same  race,  take  a  kindred 
pride  in  the  glorious  deeds  of  England's  soldiers.  My  guide  had 
been    in    Lucknow  at  the  time  of  the    siege,  and  was  one  of  the  few 


IS 

.5> 


^ 

s 

^ 


<J 


LUC  KNOW  AND  ITS  HEROES. 


129 


natives  who  remained  loyal.  He  pointed  out  the  interesting  spots ; 
and  an  old  soldier  of  the  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  who  was  one  of 
the  first  relief  party  under  Sir  Henry  Havelock,  told  me  graphically 
the  whole  story  of  the  Lucknow  mutiny  and  relief  The  suffering  in 
mind    and     body     of    the 


i 


*^  ml'*' ,7,1  ^ 


brave  garrison,  surrounded 
bv  a  horde  of  cruel  and 
bloodthirsty  foes,  must 
have  been  great  indeed  ; 
for  they  were  fighting  not 
onlv  for  their  country 
and  their  lives,  but  for 
the  honour  of  their  wives 
and  daughters.  Lawrence, 
"  who  tried  to  do  his 
duty,"  and  Havelock,  have 
gone  down  to  history  with 
enduring  name  as  exam- 
ples of  Christian  soldiers. 
I  stood  with  reverent  in- 
terest beside  their  graves. 
Sir  James  Outram  and 
Lord  Clive,  better  known 
as  Sir  Colin  Campbell,  re- 
ceived sepulture  in  West- 
minster     Abbey,     having 

survived  the  privations  and  dangers  of  the  mutiny  and  returned  home 
to  be  honoured  and  rewarded. 

I  returned  to  the  Imperial  Hotel,  took  breakfast,  and  attended 
service  at  the  English  church,  after  which  I  drove  to  various  points 
of  interest,  of  which  I  may  name  the  Kaiser-bagh,  a  former  palace  of 
the  deposed  King  of  Oude  ;  the  Jumma  Musjid,  or  Great  Mosque;  the 
Great    Imambara,    a    huge    Mohammedan    building    with    an    adjoining 


Bei'iim's  toinl),  Lucknow. 


n,0  IN    THE    TRACK  OF   THE  SUN. 


mosque;  the  Husainabad  Imambara,  the  tomb  of  King  Sa'adat  Ali 
Khan  and  Shot  Najuf;  the  Chutter  Munzil,  or  Umbrella  Mansion, 
now  used  by  the  United  Service  Club ;  the  Maitiniere,  a  college 
founded  by  Major-General  Claude  Martin  ;  the  Dilkusha  Palace  ;  the 
Secunder  Bagh,  where  two  thousand  Sepoys  were  bayonetted  by  the 
Ninety-third  Highlanders  and  the  Fifty-third  Regiment ;  and  the 
Alumbagh,  where  the  heroic   tiavelock  is  buried. 

At  the  Residency  is  a  monument  to  the  officers  and  men  of  the 
gallant  Seventy-eighth  (Mackenzie)  Highlanders — the  Ross-shire  Buffs, 
now  called  the  Seaforth  Highlanders — whose  bagpipes,  according  to 
tradition,  were  heard  by  Jessie  Brown.  The  story  is,  that  she  was 
the  first  to  know  of  the  approach  of  Havelock's  relieving  force  toward 
Lucknow.  She  was  lying  on  the  floor,  sick  with  fever,  her  ear  to 
the  ground,  when  she  suddenly  leaped  to  her  feet  and  declared  that 
she  heard  the  pipes  of  Havelock's  Highland  Brigade.  As  the  lire 
continued  to  approach  the  commotion  in  the  city  became  intense, 
while  within  the  garrison  all  was  exultation  to  know  that,  through 
God's  mercy,  deliverance  was  at  hand,  as  foretold  by  the  Scotch  las- 
sie in  her  delirium.  The  story  is  told  in  the  following  lines  by  Grace 
Campbell : 

JESSIE'S  DREAM. 

"  Far  awa'  to  bonnie   Sccitlanil 

Has  my  spirit  ta'en   its  flight, 
An'  I   saw  my  mither  spinnin' 

In  our   Highland  hame  at  night  ; 
I  saw  tiie  kye  a-browsin', 

My  father  at  the  plough, 
And  the  grand  auld  hills  aboon  them  a' — 

Wad   I  could  see  them  now  ! 

"  O  leddy,  while  upon  your  knees 
Ye  held  my  sleepin'  head, 
I  saw  the  little  kirk  at  hame, 
Where  Tam  and   I   were  wed ; 


/ESSIE'S  DREAM.  I31 


I  heard  the  tune  the  pipers  play'd, 

I  kenn'd  its  rise  and  fa' — 
"Fwas  the  wikl   Macgregor's  slogan — 

'Tis  the  grandest  o'  them  a'  ! 

"  Hark  !  sure  I'm  no  wildly  dreamin'. 

For  I  hear  it  plainly  now — 
Ye  cannot — ye  never  heard  it 

On  the  far-off  mountain's  brow; 
For  in  your  southern  childhood 

Ye  were  nourish'd  saft  and  warm, 
Nor  watch'd   upon  the  cauld  hillside 

The  risin'  o'  the  storm  ! 

"  Ay  !  now  the  soldiers  hear  it, 

An'  answer  with  a  cheer. 
As  'The  Campbells  are  a-comin' ! ' 

Falls  on  each  anxious  ear! 
The  cannons  roar  their  thunder, 

An'   the  sappers  work   in   vain, 
For  high   aboon   the  din   o'  war 

Resounds  the  welcome  strain  I 

"An'  nearer  still,  an'  nearer  still! 

An'  now  'tis  'Auld  Lang  Syne!' 
Its  kindly  notes  like  life-bluid  rin 

Through  this  puir  sad  heart  o'  mine! 
O  leddv  !  dinna  swoon  awa' ! 

Look  up!  the  evil's  past! 
They're  ccmiin'   now  to  dee  wi'  us. 

Or  save  us  at  the  last! 

"Then   let  us  humbly,  thankfully, 

Down  on  our  knees  and  pray 
For  those  who  come  through  bluid  and  fire 

To  rescue  us  this  day: 
That   He  may  o'er  them  spread  his  shield, 

Stretch  forth  his  arm,  an'  save 
Bold  Havelock  an'  his  Highlanders, 

The  bravest  o'  the  brave!" 


132 


IN   THE    TRACK  OF   THE  SUN. 


This  incident  has  inspired  two  other  poems  that  attained  popular- 
ity because  of  the  story — Robert  Lowell's  "Relief  of  Lucknow"  and 
VVhittier's  "  Pipes  at   Lucknow." 

Lucknow  is  famous  for  its  embroidery  in  gold  thread,  its  silver 
jewellery,  cotton  goods,  and  pottery.  The  inhabitants  smoke  opium  and 
eat  majooii,  otherwise  called  hasheesh,  which  is  made  from  Indian 
hemp    and    is    one  of  the    most  intoxicating  agents  known.     The  fuel 


Maiiiohuni  of  King  Sa'tiJat  All  Kahn,   Lucknow. 


generally  used  throughout  India  is  cow-dung.  This  is  pressed  into 
round  cakes  and  dried  in  the  sun.  It  makes  an  excellent  substitute 
for  coal  and  wood,  and  burns  much  in  the  same  manner  as  peat. 

On  Monday,  January  i8th,  I  drove  about  the  environs  of  the  town 
to  the  place  of  the  military  operations  under  the  direction  of  the 
commander-in-chief.  Sir  Frederick    Roberts.     The  troops,  twelve   thou- 


THE  SIEGE  RE-ENACTED. 


'3- 


sand  in  all,  were  divided  into  two  parties,  one  division  defending  and 
the  other  attacking  Lucknow.  The  movements  were  well  executed 
and  very  interesting,  the  English,  native  and  volunteer  regiments  all 
taking  part.  These  manfjeuvres  occur  yearly,  and  are  intended  not 
only  for  exercise  and  discipline,  but  to  impress  the  nativ^es — the  charg- 
ing, cannonading,  and  musketry  firing  being  terrific.  On  the  road  I 
met  about  seventy  camels  and  several  hundred  mules  and  bullocks 
belonging  to  the  Government.  They  were  splendid-looking  animals, 
all  in   fine  condition. 


Moiiuiut-nt  to   Sir  Hiiuv  Lawrenci.  Lucl-nc'n 


CHAPTER   IX. 


AGRA    AND    DELHI. 


N  the  evening  I  left  Lucknovv  for  Cawnpore,  forty-eight 
miles  distant,  and  in  two  hours  arrived  at  this  historic 
city,  the  scene  of  the  horrible  massacre  in  June,  1857. 
I  was  met  at  the  station  by  Joseph  Lee,  a  former  sol- 
dier of  the  Fifty-third  or  Shropshire  Regiment,  sub- 
sequently of  the  Twenty-third  Regiment,  Welsh  Fusi- 
leers.  He  was  one  of  the  heroic  band  that  entered 
Cawnpore  with  Havelock  —  unfortunately,  two  hours 
after  the  last  of  the  English  prisoners  was  killed  by  the  mutineers 
under  that  barbarous  murderer,  Nana  Sahib. 

On  Tuesday  morning   I    went    out   in    a    large    landau,    the    driver 
being  an  old  soldier  who  also  had  served  in  the  Fifty-third  Regiment 


MEMORIALS  OF    THE  SEPOY  REBELLIOX. 


Ill 


and  entered  Cawnpore  with  Havelock.  The  various  spots  of  interest 
were  shown — Wheeler's  intrench ment,  which  had  been  distinctly  marked 
out,  at  the  suggestion  of  the  Prince  of  Wales ;  All  Soul's  Church  ;  the 
Memorial  Well  (into  which  the  unfortunate  English  victims  were 
thrown,  regardless  of  age  or  sex,  the  living  with  the  dead)  ;  and  the 
Suttee  Choura  Ghat,  where  the  majority  of  the  garrison  were  fired  upon 


Memorial  Biiildin^^    Ciiii  i 


cue  of  tlie  massacre  of  iSjJ. 


and  were  destroyed,  after  they  had  embarked  in  boats.  The  massacre 
was  one  of  the  most  brutal  in  modern  history,  but  the  retribution  in- 
flicted on  the  perpetrators  was  swift  and  heavy.  Thev  were  dragged 
by  Havelock's  infuriated  soldiers  through  the  blood  they  had  spilled, 
which  to  a  Brahman's  mind  was  an  unspeakable  defilement  ;  and  after 

that  they  were  lashed  to  the  mouths  of  cannon  and  the  guns  were  fired, 
28 


136  /X    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 

which  blew  their  bodies  into  shreds  and  scattered  them  to  the  wind. 
The  severity  of  this  punishment  arose  from  their  religious  belief, 
which  requires  that  the  body  have  burial  with  proper  ceremonies  or  the 
soul  can  never  enter  heaven. 

The  guide  informed  me  of  a  fact  that  is  usually  suppressed  in  the 
accounts  of  this  tragedy.  It  seems  that  Sir  Hugh  Massey  Wheeler 
had  a  native  wife  and  four  children — two  sons  and  two  daughters — and 
it  is  probable  that  this  made  him  more  ready  to  surrender  than  the 
other  members  of  the  garrison,  the  majority  of  whom  would  have  pre- 
ferred to  hold  out.  General  Wheeler,  his  wife,  and  one  son  were  killed 
at  the  Ghat :  the  two  daughters  were  taken  by  the  rebel  officers  and  dis- 
honoured, and  this  was  the  fate  also  of  many  of  the  European  ladies. 
One  of  Wheeler's  daughters,  so  the  story  runs,  seized  the  sword  belong- 
ing to  the  man  who  had  outraged  her  and  ran  him  through  with  fatal 
effect.  The  other  daughter  is  said  to  have  remained  voluntarilv  with 
the  man  wdio  had  appropriated  her,  though  the  mutiny  was  ended  and 
an  opportunity  was  given  her  to  leave  him.  The  remaining  son  after- 
ward became  a  magistrate,  and,  strange  to  say,  his  feelings  were  all  anti- 
English,  and  his  decisions  invariably  favourable  to  the  natives.  Nana 
Sahib  was  well  educated,  and  was  a  great  favourite  with  the  English 
ladies  and  gentlemen  before  the  mutiny.  He  became  disaffected  toward 
the  English  rule  because  his  right  to  the  title  and  salute  of  Bajee  Rao, 
who  had  adopted  him  as  a  son,  was  not  recognized  by  the  authorities. 

I  left  Cawnpore  on  the  -.^i  p.  m.  train,  arriving  at  Agra  at  i  a.  m., 
and,  as  the  night  was  fine  and  the  moon  shining,  I  sent  Pedro  to  Lau- 
rie's Hotel  with  the  luggage,  took  a  gharry,  and  drove  at  once  to  see 
the  Taj  Mahal.     The  sight  was  one  I  shall  never  forget. 

On  Wednesday  morning,  January  20th,  I  engaged  a  native  Hindu 
guide  and  spent  the  forenoon  at  Akbar's  Tomb,  which  is  six  miles  from 
Agra.  This  is  a  splendid  construction  of  the  Great  Mogul  whose  tomb 
it  forms.  The  view  from  the  top  story  is  beautiful.  The  Taj  loomed 
up  in  the  distance,  and  flocks  of  green  parrots  circled  about  in  the  air- 
Here,   in   the   centre,   is  the  memorial  of  Akbar,  a  large  block  of  pure 


■< 


^ 


•$- 


V 


^ 


THE    TAJ  MAHAL.  1 37 


white  marble,  decorated  with  an  Arabic  inscription  surrounded  by  ex- 
quisite tracery.  A  few  feet  from  this  monument  is  a  marble  receptacle 
in  which  was  kept,  it  is  said,  the  famous  Koh-i-noor  diamond — now  one 
of  the  British  crown  jewels.  In  a  dark  chamber  in  the  centre  of  this 
marvellous  pile  lie  the  crumbling  remains  of  the  mighty  emperor. 

In  the  afternoon  I  drove  to  the  Taj  Mahal.  The  gate  through  which 
we  entered  is  in  itself  a  marvel,  and  the  view  as  one  passes  through  it 
is  sublime.  I  was  ready  to  acknowledge  without  hesitation  that,  in 
spite  of  all  that  has  been  said  in  its  praise,  the  first  view  of  the  Taj 
Mahal  is  not  a  disappointment.  Its  beauty  is  beyond  description.  The 
garden  in  which  it  is  situated  is  filled  with  cypress,  lemon,  orange,  and 
palm  trees,  and  many  flowering  bushes  and  plants,  while  a  tank  about 
three  hundred  feet  in  length,  filled  with  clear  running  water,  extends 
through  the  middle. 

It  is  remarkable  how  perfectly  preserved  the  Taj  Mahal  is,  when  one 
considers  that  it  was  completed  in  1648.  The  beautiful  tracery  and 
carving,  as  well  as  the  intricate  inlaid  work,  are  almost  as  fresh  as  if  it 
were  just  completed.  Without  doubt  the  Taj  Mahal  is  the  most  ex- 
quisitely beautiful  and  the  most  perfect  edifice  in  existence.  Standing 
out  in  white  relief  against  the  cloudless  azure  sky,  when  the  sun  is  sink- 
ing below  the  horizon,  it  is  a  sight  never  to  be  forgotten.  The  follow- 
ing description,  by  Sir  Edwin  Arnold,  is  probably  the  most  beautiful 
as  well  as  the  most  accurate  that  has  been  produced : 

"  The  wonder  of  Agra,  and  the  '  crown  of  the  world,'  the  Taj, 
the  peerless  tomb  built  for  the  fair  dead  bodv  of  Arjamand  Banu 
Begum  by  her  lord  and  lover,  the  Emperor  Shah  Jehan — in  truth,  it  is 
difficult  to  speak  of  what  has  been  so  often  described,  the  charm  of 
which  remains  nevertheless  quite  indescribable.  As  a  matter  of  course, 
one's  first  hours  in  Agra  were  devoted  to  contemplation  of  that  ten- 
der elegy  in  marble  which,  by  its  beauty,  has  made  immortal  the  love- 
liness that  it  commemorates.  The  Tartar  princes  and  princesses  from 
which  sprang  the  proud  Eion  of  the  Moguls  were  wont  in  their  life- 
time to  choose  a  piece  of  picturesque  ground,  to  inclose  it  with  high 


138 


IN   THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


walls,  embellish  its  precincts  with  flower-beds  and  groves  of  shady  trees, 
and  to  build  upon  it  a  Bari-duri,  a  '  twelve-gated '  pleasure  house, 
where  they  took  delight  during  the  founder's  life.  When  he  died, 
the  pavilion  became  a  mausoleum,  and  never  again  echoed  with  song 
and  music.  Perhaps  the  fair  daughter  of  Asuf  Khan,  Shah  Jehan's 
sultana,  had  loved  this  very  garden  in  her  life,  for  her  remains  were 
laid    at    death    in    its    confines,    while    the   emperor    commissioned    the 


Interior  of  the  Pearl  Mosque,  Agra. 


best  artificers  of  his  time  to  build  a  resting-place  for  her  dust  worthy 
of  the  graces  of  mind  and  body  which  are  recorded  in  the  Persian 
verse  upon  her  grave. 

"  In  all  the  world  no  queen  had  ever  such  a  monument.     You  have 
read  a  thousand  times    all  about  the  Taj  ;  you  know  exactly — so  you 


THE    TAJ  MAHAL.  139 


believe — what  to  expect.  There  will  be  the  gateway  of  red  sandstone 
with  the  embroidered  sentences  upon  it  from  the  holy  book ;  the 
demi-vault  inlaid  with  flowers  and  scrolls  ;  then  the  green  garden  open- 
ing a  long  vista  over  marble  pavements  between  masses  of  heavy  foli- 
age, and  mournful  pillars  of  the  cypress  ranged  like  sentinels  to  guard 
the  solemnity  of  the  spot.  At  the  far  end  of  this  vista,  beyond  the 
fountains  and  the  marble  platform,  amid  four  stately  white  towers,  you 
know  what  a  sweet  and  symmetrical  dome  will  be  beheld,  higher  than 
its  breadth,  solid  and  majestic,  but  yet  soft  and  delicate  in  its  swelling 
proportions  and  its  milk-white  sheen.  Prepared  to  admire,  you  are  also 
aware  of  the  defects  alleged  against  the  Taj — the  rigidity  of  its  out- 
lines, the  lack  of  shadow  upon  its  unbroken  front  and  flanks,  and  the 
coloured  inlaying,  said  to  make  it  less  a  triumph  of  architectural  than 
of  mosaic  work — an  illustration  somewhat  too  striking  and  lavish  of 
what  is  declared  of  the  Moguls,  that  'they  designed  like  giants  and  fin- 
ished like  jewellers.'  You  determine  to  judge  it  dispassionately,  not 
carried  away  by  the  remembrance  that  twenty  thousand  workmen  were 
employed  for  twenty-two  years  in  its  construction  ;  that  it  cost  hard 
upon  two  million  pounds  sterling ;  that  gems  and  precious  stones  came 
in  camel-loads  from  all  parts  of  the  earth  to  furnish  the  inlayers  with 
their  material.  Then  you  pass  beneath  the  stately  portal — in  itself 
sufficient  to  commemorate  the  proudest  of  princesses — and  as  the  white 
cupola  of  the  Taj  rises  before  the  gaze  and  reveals  its  beauty,  grace  by 
grace,  as  you  pace  along  the  pavemented  avenue,  the  mind  refuses  to 
criticise  what  enchants  the  eye  and  fills  the  heart  with  a  sentiment  of 
reverence  for  the  royal  love  which  could  thus  translate  itself  into  ala- 
baster. If  it  be  the  time  of  sunlight,  the  day  is  softened  to  perpetual 
afternoon  by  the  shadows  cast  from  the  palms  and  peepuls,  the  thuja 
trees  and  the  pomegranates,  while  the  hot  wind  is  cooled  by  the  scent  of 
roses  and  jasmine.  If  it  be  moonlight,  the  dark  avenue  leads  the  gaze 
mysteriously  to  the  soft  and  loftv  splendour  of  that  dome.  In  cither 
case,  when  the  first  platform  is  reached  and  the  full  glory  of  the  snow- 
white  wonder  comes  into  light,  one  can    no  more  stay  to  criticise    its 


I40  IN    THE    TRACK  OF   THE  SUN. 

details  than  to  analyze  a  beautiful  face  suddenly  seen.  Admiration,  de- 
light, astonishment,  blend  in  the  absorbed  thought  with  a  feeling  that 
human  affection  never  struggled  more  ardently,  passionately,  and  tri- 
umphantly against  the  oblivion  of  death.  There  is  one  sustained,  har- 
monious, majestic  sorrowfulness  of  pride  in  it,  from  the  verse  on  the 
entrance  which  says  that  "  the  pure  of  heart  shall  enter  the  Gardens 
of  God,"  to  the  small  delicate  letters  of  sculptured  Arabic  upon  the 
tombstone  which  tells  with  a  refined  humility  that  Munataz-i-Mahal, 
the  '  Exalted  of  the  Palace,'  lies  here,  and  that  Allah  alone  is  pow- 
erful. 

"  The  garden  helps  the  tomb  as  the  tomb  dignifies  the  garden. 
It  is  such  an  orderly  wilderness  of  rich  vegetation  as  could  only 
be  had  in  Asia,  broad  flags  of  banana  belting  the  dark  tangle  of  ban- 
yan and  bamboo,  with  white  pavements  gleaming  crosswise  through 
the  verdure.  Yet,  if  the  Taj  rose  amid  sands  of  a  dreary  desert,  the 
lovely  edifice  would  beautify  the  waste  and  turn  it  into  a  tender  par- 
able of  the  desolation  of  death,  and  the  power  of  love  which  is  stronger 
than  death.  You  pace  around  the  four  sides  of  the  milk-white  monu- 
ment, pausing  to  observe  the  glorious  prospect  over  the  Indian  plains 
commanded  from  the  platform  on  that  face  where  Jumna  washes  the 
foot  of  the  wall.  Its  magnitude  now  astounds.  The  plinth  of  the  Taj 
is  over  a  hundred  yards  each  way,  and  it  lifts  its  golden  pinnacle  two 
hundred  and  forty-four  feet  into  the  sky.  From  a  distance  this  lovely 
and  aerial  dome  sits,  therefore,  above  the  horizon  like  a  rounded  cloud. 
And  having  paced  about  it,  and  saturated  the  mind  with  its  e.xtreme 
and  irresistible  loveliness,  you  enter  reverently  the  burial-place  of  the 
Princess  Arjamand,  to  find  the  inner  walls  of  the  monument  as  much 
a  marvel  of  subtle  shadow  and  chastened  light,  decked  with  delicate 
jewellery,  as  the  exterior  was  noble  and  simple.  On  the  pure  surface 
of  this  hall  of  death,  and  upon  the  columns,  panels,  and  trellis-work 
of  the  marble  screens  surrounding  the  tomb,  are  patiently  inlaid  all 
sorts  of  graceful  and  elaborate  embellishments — flowers,  leaves,  berries, 
scrolls,  and    sentences — in   jasper,    coral,    bloodstone,    lapis-lazuli,  nacre. 


f< 


29 


THE   TAJ  MAHAL.  141 


onyx,  turquoise,  sardonyx,  and  even  precious  gems.  Moreover,  the 
exquisite  abode  of  death  is  haunted  by  spirits  as  dcHcate  as  their 
dwelling.  They  will  not  answer  to  rude  noises,  but  if  a  woman's  voice 
be  gently  raised  in  notes  of  hymn  or  song,  if  a  chord  is  quietly  sounded, 
echoes  in  the  marble  vault  take  up  the  music,  repeat,  diversify,  and 
amplify  it  with  strange  combinations  of  melodious  sounds,  slowly  dying 
away  and  rearising,  as  if  Israfel,  '  who  has  the  sweetest  voice  of  all 
Allah's  angels,'  had  set  a  guard  of  his  celestial  minstrels  to  watch  the 
death-couch  of  Arjamand.  For  under  the  beautiful  screens  and  the 
carved  trellis-work  of  alabaster  is  the  real  resting-place  of  the  '  Exalted 
of  the  Palace.'  She  has  the  centre  of  the  circular  area  marked 
by  a  little  slab  of  snow-white  marble ;  while  by  her  side — a  span 
loftier  in  height  because  he  was  a  man  and  an  emperor,  but  not 
displacing  her  from  the  pre-eminence  of  her  grace  and  beauty — is 
the  stone  which  marks  the  resting-spot  of  Shah  Jehan,  her  lord 
and  lover.  He  has  immortalized,  if  he  could  not  preserve  alive  for 
one  brief  day,  his  peerless  wife ;  yet  the  pathetic  moral  of  it  all  is 
written  in  a  verse  hereabouts  from  the  Hiidccs,  or  '  traditions.'  It 
runs,  after  reciting  the  styles  and  titles  of  'His  Majesty,  King  of 
Kings,  Shadow  of  Allah,  whose  Court  is  as  Heaven  ' :  '  Saith  Jesus 
{on  wJiom  be  peace^  :  TJiis  zcorlc/  is  a  bi'ielge !  pass  thou  over  it, 
but  build  not  upo)i  it.  This  ivorld  is  one  liour ;  give  its  minutes 
to  thy  prayers ;  for  the  rest  is  Jinseen!  " 

I  left  the  Taj  Mahal  reluctantly,  though  knowing  that  I  should  have 
opportunities  before  leaving  of  seeing  it  again,  and  drove  back  to  the 
fort.  This  is  a  huge  mediaeval  structure  of  red  sandstone,  containing 
within  its  walls  the  beautiful  Royal  Palace.  At  the  time  this  fortress 
was  constructed  it  was  impregnable,  but  against  modern  artillery,  of 
course,  it  would  not  stand.  The  entrance  is  by  the  celebrated  Delhi 
Gate,  a  massive  structure,  reached  by  a  drawbridge  over  the  moat.  I 
drove  through  the  fort  to  the  beautiful  Motee  Masjid,  or  pearl  mosque, 
built  by  Shah  Jehan  in  1654;  to  the  Diwan-i-am,  or  public  audience- 
hall,  built  by  Aurungzebe  in    1685,  where  the   Prince  of  Wales  held  a 


142 


JN   THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


famous  public  reception  in  1875  ;  to  the  wonderful  Jasmine  Tower;  to 
the  marvellous  Shish  Mahal,  or  Oriental  bath,  the  walls  and  ceilings  of 
which  are  ornamented  with  countless  small  bits  of  lookino;-glass,  ar- 
ranged   in    curious  designs  ;  and    to  other  parts    of   this  grand    habita- 


tfe      «*t 


T:  )  iTTTTTUUi  *  i 


t  t  i'\'] 


1,1^  1 1 


lit  X\    i   i  .    1^-  j'V'sy*'^-  i-J^''^rk^i-'*->'^ 


The  Delhi  gate^  Agra  fort. 

tion  of  the  Great  Moguls.  Lord  Northbrook  has  defrayed  the  cost 
of  some  necessary  restoration,  for  which  he  deserves  the  thanks  of  every 
visitor  interested  in  the  preservation  of  Indian  antiquities. 

The  Jasmine  Tower  was  a  boudoir  of  the  chief  sultana.  The  ter- 
race is  paved  with  gray  and  white  marbles,  laid  out  for  the  game  of 
pacliisi,  similar  to  our  draughts  or  checkers,  on  a  grand  scale.  Ascend- 
ing a  few  steps,  you  enter  a  marble  pavilion  two  stories  high,  built  on 
a  circular  bastion  facing  the  river. 

On  Thursday,  January  21st,  1  revisited  the  various  places  of  inter- 
est and  took  a  more  deliberate  and  critical  view.  For  several  hours  I 
tarried  at  the  Taj,  remaining  there  until  the  waning  sunlight  warned 
me  that  night  would  soon  set  in.  Each  successive  visit  to  this  mas- 
terpiece of  Mohammedan  architecture  increases  one's  admiration  for  its 
wonderful  beauty. 


MANUFACTURES  OF  AGRA. 


143 


Many  elegant  articles  are  manufactured  in  Agra,  and  one  need  not 
go  off  the  hotel  piazza  to  purchase  them,  although  a  visit  to  the  Bazar 
is  of  considerable  interest.  In  this  the  specimens  of  embroideries  on 
French  satm,  in  gold  and  silver  thread,  with  inserted  coloured  stones, 
are  magnificent.  They  are  made  for  European  uses,  in  such  forms  as 
portieres,  bed-spreads,  doilies,  and  centre-pieces  for  dining-tables,  and 
are  produced  in  particular  by  the  factory  of  Ganash,  Lall  &  Son. 
This  firm  has  a  large  trade  with  the  nobility  and  gentry  of  England. 

On   Friday  morning,  January  2 2d,   I    left  for   Delhi,  with  my   serv- 
ant  Pedro.     At  the  station   I    had  a  discussion  with  the  station-master 
about  taking  my   luggage   into  the   first-class  carriage,  but   the   matter 
ended    most    pleasantly,    for   when    he    found    I 
was  an  American  he  permitted  me  to  have  my 
way.     He    said    he    had    li\ed    formerly  in    Chi- 
cago,  and   was    there   at    the    time   of  the   great 
fire. 

The  country  througii  which  we  passed  was 
devoted  almost  entirely  to  raising  wheat,  but 
near  Agra  large  quantities  of  cotton  are  also 
produced.  The  windows  of  the  carriages  on  the 
Indian  railways  are  usuallv  made  of  blue  glass, 
which  is  useful  in  fending  off  the  glare  and  heat 
of  the  sun  in   the  hot  months. 

Almost  every  writer  seems  to  have  his  own 
method  of  spelling  not  only  the  Hindu  names, 
but  also  other  words  not  entirely  relating  to 
India,  which  is  exasperatingly  confusing.  The 
poor  tourist  on  his  way  round  the  world  is  in  danger  of  softening  of 
the  brain  should  he  dip  too  deeply  into  the  history  and  geography  of 
the  places  he  beholds. 

We  arrived  at  Delhi  at  4  p.  m.,  and  went  to  the  Grand  Hotel. 
In  the  evening  I  witnessed  a  fine  performance  of  Nautch  girls.  These 
dancers  are  employed    by  the  rajahs  and   rich   Hindus  to  entertain  the 


A   Nautch  girl. 


144  /-^    THE    TRACK  OF   THE  SVN. 


j^uests  at  weddings,  festivals,  and  other  celebrations.  I  was  with  a 
fellow-traveller,  we  being  the  only  lookers-on.  There  were  four  girls, 
richly  costumed,  and  covered  with  native  jewellery — necklaces,  nose 
rings,  finger  rings,  and  toe  rings,  and  bangles  on  arms  and  ankles, 
besides  other  ornaments.  The  bangles  on  the  ankles  were  covered 
with  tiny  bells,  the  tinkling  of  which  made  a  pleasant  accompaniment 
to  the  music  produced  by  eight  performers  playing  on  native  violins 
and  tom-toms.  The  dances  were  graceful  and  modest,  and  I  was 
much  interested  in  the  entertainment.  The  whole  cost  for  the  four 
Nautch  girls  and  eight  musicians  was  sixty  rupees. 

On  Saturday  I  engaged  a  local  native  guide,  and,  setting  out  at 
7  A.  M.,  drove  in  a  large  open  landau  to  the  fort,  inside  of  which 
is  the  palace  of  the  Great  Mogul.  This  resembles  in  a  general 
way  the  fort  and  palace  of  Agra ;  in  fact,  many  other  buildings  in 
Delhi  bear  the  same  resemblance,  having  been  constructed  princi- 
pally by  Akbar  and  Shah  Jehan.  This  edifice  was  begun  in  a.  d. 
1628,  and  completed  in  1658  by  Shah  Jehan.  At  that  time  it  was 
undoubtedly  the  most  sumptuous  and  magnificent  palace  existing. 
The  Diwan-i-am,  or  public  audience  hall,  is  a  beautiful  building, 
of  red  sandstone  inlaid  with  white  marble.  In  the  centre  is  the 
imperial  throne,  covered  by  a  canopy  of  white  marble,  beautifully 
decorated.  Directly  on  the  outer  wall,  beside  the  river  Jumna,  are 
the  Motee  Musjid,  the  richly  decorated  baths  of  Akbar,  and  the 
Diwan-i-knas,  a  private  audience  hall,  the  ceiling  of  which  was  origi- 
nally of  solid  silver.  In  the  centre  of  the  exquisitely  beautiful 
chamber  is  the  marble  pedestal  on  which  formerly  stood  that  won- 
der of  the  world,  the  Peacock  Throne.  The  plumage  of  the  pea- 
cocks was  composed  of  sapphires,  diamonds,  rubies,  emeralds,  and 
other  precious  stones,  the  tails  of  the  birds  being  spread.  At  the 
back  of  the  throne  was  a  parrot,  life  size,  said  to  have  been  cut 
from  a  single  emerald ;  while  on  either  side  of  the  throne  stood  an 
umbrella,  one  of  the  Oriental  emblems  of  royalty,  made  of  crimson 
velvet,    embroidered    heavily    with    superb    fringe    composed    of    pearls. 


^ 

^ 


a. 


DELHI.— THE  PEACOCK   THRONE. 


145 


Each  handle,  eight  feet  in    length,  was  of  solid    gold,  thickly  studded 
with  the  finest  diamonds. 

This  throne,  it  is  said,  cost  six  million  pounds  sterling,  when 
jewels  were  not  valued  so  highly  as  at  present.  On  the  north  wall 
is  an  inscription  in  Persian  letters,  the  meaning  of  which  is,  "If 
there  be  an  elysium  on  earth,  it  is  this — it  is  this!"  The  other 
buildings  remaining  of  the  palace  are  all  in  harmony  with  one  an- 
other, and  the  Motee  Musjid  is  especially  lovely. 

My  next  visit  was  to  the  Jama  Masjid.  Here  some  highly  inter- 
esting relics  were  shown  me ;  namely,  a  slipper  of  Mohammed's,  a 
hair  from  his  beard,  and  his  footprint  in  a  piece  of  marble,  besides 
several  ancient  and  rare  copies  of  the  Koran.  These  articles  are 
looked  upon  with  great  veneration  by  all  good  Mussulmans.  The 
view  of  Delhi  from  the  minarets  of  this  mosque  is  fine. 

After  this  I  returned  for  breakfast,  and  then  continued  my  sight- 
seeing to  the  Cashmere  Gate,  through  which  the  British  troops 
entered  after  its  demolition  by 
a  mine  of  gunpowder  in  1857; 
to  the  Mutiny  Memorial  on  the 
ridge  ;  then  through  the  Delhi 
Gate,  viewing  the  great  Stone 
Pillar ;  to  the  ruined  city  of 
Ferozeshah  ;  to  Humayoon's 
tomb,  where  Major  Hodson  cap- 
tured and  executed  the  two 
sons  of  the  last  Mogul  ;  to 
Nizam-ood-Deen's  tomb  ;  and  to 
Indraprestha.  All  these  places 
are  of  the  greatest  interest. 
Many  of  the  ruined  liuildings 
along  the  roadside  were  con- 
structed as  long  ago  as  2000  b.  c.  ;  for  Delhi  was  a  great  capital 
when   Babylon  and  Nineveh  were  flourishing. 


.1  ^^>' 


.1  '  -♦i^v  A^-r'^ 


The'  Ma /id' a/ah   of  G-mlioi. 


146  IN    THE    TRACK  OF    THE   SUN. 

Coming  back,  I  spent  some  time  in  the  bazaars.  No  other  city 
in  India  produces  such  choice  articles,  in  such  large  quantities,  as 
does  the  famous  capital  of  the  Moguls.  This  day  was  the  most  in- 
teresting one  that  I  spent  in  India.  The  romance  attaching  to  the 
place,  its  early  history,  its  Oriental  grandeur  under  the  Moguls,  its 
capture  by  Lord  Lake  in  1803,  and  its  second  capture  and  seizure 
by  the  British  under  General  Nicholson  in  1857,  '^"d  the  facts  of 
the  final  extinction  of  the  old  rL'ginic,  together  with  Hodson's  re- 
markable exploit  in  capturing  the  last  of  the  Moguls  with  a  mere 
handful  of  horsemen,  and  his  shooting  the  two  princes,  heirs  to  the 
throne,  and  exposing  their  bodies  to  public  view — all  invest  Delhi 
with  a  peculiar  interest. 

The  principal  streets  are  wide,  and  are  macadamized  in  English 
style.  The  main  thoroughfare,  called  Chandnee  Chowk,  is  a  mile 
long,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  broad,  and  is  planted  in  the 
middle  with  a  double  line  of  trees,  after  the  fashion  of  Unter-den- 
Linden. 

There  are  but  few  Hindu  temples  in  Delhi,  and  those  are  of 
no  special  interest.  The  Jain  Temple  is  open  each  day  in  the  after- 
noon, and  I  drove  thither.  It  resembles  the  ordinary  Buddhist  shrines. 
In  the  evening,  before  going  to  bed,  I  took  a  Turkisii  bath,  there 
being  an  excellent  establishment  at   Delhi. 

In  India  there  are  no  old  maids  or  old  bachelors  ;  for  it  is  the 
duty,  taught  by  his  religion,  of  every  parent  to  provide  a  husband 
or  a  wife,  as  the  case  may  be,  for  his  children  when  they  are  about 
seven  years  of  age.  One  often  sees  in  the  streets  the  wedding  pro- 
cessions of  these  youthful  couples.  Of  course,  they  do  not  live  to- 
gether at  once,  but  continue  with  their  families  until  they  are  of 
proper  age. 

On  Sunday,  January  24th,  I  attended  service  at  St.  James's  Church, 
which  is  a  commodious  edifice  in  a  beautiful  compound  near  the 
hotel.  Afterward  I  drove  out  eleven  miles  to  Kootub-Minar,  stop- 
ping on  the  way  to  see  the  tomb  of  Sufder  Jung.     Nearly  the  whole 


DELHI.— KOOTUB-M  IN AR.  147 

distance  from  the  Ajmere  Gate  shows  a  succession  of  ruined  towns, 
tombs,  and  mosques.  Kootub-Minar  was  a  glorious  surprise  to  me, 
for,  next  to  the  Taj,  it  is  the  principal  architectural  sight  of  India. 
Its  height  is  two  hundred  and  thirty-eight  feet,  the  diameter  at  the 
base  being  forty-seven  feet,  and  at  the  top  nine  feet.  The  carvings 
of  the  beautifully  fluted  outer  walls  are  as  fresh  as  if  they  had  been 
cut  but  a  score  of  years.  It  is  the  third  highest  tower  in  the  world, 
and  was  completed  six  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago — a  fact  difficult 
to  realize  when  one  stands  at  its  base  and  looks  up  at  it.  The  ruined 
buildings  surrounding  the  tower  were  originally  Hindu  temples,  but 
were  reconstructed  into  mosques,  retaining,  however,  the  original  carved 
pillars,  which  have  an  unusual  look  in  a  Mohammedan  house  of  wor- 
ship. In  the  centre  of  the  courtyard  is  an  ancient  iron  column  sup- 
posed to  date  from  a.  d.  400.  It  rises  twenty-two  feet  above  ground, 
and  extends  three  feet  below  the  surface.  It  is  considered  to  be  one 
of  the  most  curious  things  at  Delhi. 

Near  Kootub-Minar  is  a  pleasant-looking  dak  bungalow  for  the 
accommodation  of  such  travellers  as  wish  to  remain  for  a  few  days  to 
make  a  more  thorough  examination  of  these  interesting  relics  of  by- 
gone generations. 

Returning  to  Laurie's  Hotel,  I  stopped  to  see  the  Jama  Masjid, 
or  Friday  Mosque,  which  faces  the  entrance  to  the  fort.  It  stands 
on  a  plateau  of  rock,  which  is  approached  by  four  streets  on  the  four 
sides.  The  gates  are  reached  by  flights  of  broad  stone  steps.  The 
courtyard,  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet  square,  is  surrounded  by  clois- 
ters, the  roofs  of  which  are  of  sandstone  slabs  fifteen  feet  long,  while 
the  court  itself  is  paved  with  granite  and  marble.  The  mosque,  at 
one  side  of  the  yard,  is  two  hundred  and  sixty  feet  long  and  one 
hundred  and  twenty  feet  wide,  and  is  the  finest  in  the  world.  It  is 
constructed  of  red  sandstone,  inlaid  with  white  marble,  and  its  central 
arch  is  eighty  feet  high.  The  domes  are  of  white  marble,  and  the 
minarets  of  marble  and  sandstone  in  alternate  stripes.  The  floor  is 
mainly  of  white    marble,  and  each    slab    in    it,  three    feet    long    and    a 


148 


rX    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


foot  and    a    half  wide,  surrounded    by  a    black  border,  is  occupied  by 
one  worshipper  on  Friday. 

On  Monday,  January  25th,  I  left  Delhi  at  11  a.  m.  by  the  Raj- 
pootana-Malwa  Railroad,  a  metre -gauge  line,  for  Jeypore,  arriving  at 
the  latter  place  at  10.45  ^'-  ^'-  The  country  through  which  we  passed 
was  well  cultivated  and  fertile,  the  principal  crops  being  cotton  and 
wheat.  The  land  is  flat,  save  for  disconnected  hills  here  and  there. 
On  the  top  of  many  are  castles,  somewhat  like  those  on  the  Rhine. 
Along  the  way  I  saw  large  flocks  of  wild  peacocks,  doves,  partridges, 
pigeons,  and  snipes,  besides  an  occasional  antelope.  For  a  change, 
instead  of  going  to  the  Kaiser-i-Hind  Hotel,  I  put  up  at  the  dak 
bungalow,  and  found  it  very  comfortable.  Jeypore  is  the  capital  of 
an  independent  principality  and  is  the  largest  city  of  the  Rajpoo- 
tana  states.  It  is  governed  by  a  maharajah,  the  present  ruler  being 
an  enlightened,  progressive  man.  He  has  his  own  army,  and  admin- 
isters his  own  government,  independent    of   British    influence,  so    long 

as  the  Resident  does  not  object. 
The  population  numbers  perhaps  two 
million,  composed  of  Rajpoots  and 
other  Hindus,  Mohammedans,  and 
Jains.  The  army  consists  of  aliout 
twenty  thousand  troops,  but  to  judge 
from  appearance  is  not  very  effective. 
The  city  is  pleasantly  situated  in  a 
valley  surrounded  by  high  hills,  the 
tops  of  which  in  many  instances 
are  surmounted  by  picturesque  castel- 
lated forts,  the  largest  one,  called 
Tiger  Fort,  completely  command- 
ing the  town.  A  substantial  wall, 
twenty  feet  high  and  nine  feet 
thick,  surrounds  the  city,  ccjmmunication  being  had  with  the  neigh- 
bouring   country    by    means    of    gateways.      The    streets    of    Jeypore 


/'//('  Mahaiajah  of  Jeypore. 


r 


ifei 


JEYPORE. 


149 


are   wide,   hard,    and    clean,  and    the    houses    well    built    of   brick    and 
stucco. 

On  Tuesday,  January  26th,  1  first  visited  the  Ramniwas  Garden, 
which  is  beautifully  laid  out  and  well  cared  for;  it  would  be  a  credit 
to  any  European  city.  Here  is  a  fine  zoological  collection,  remark- 
ably well  arranged,  the  animals,  especially  the  tigers,  being  magnifi- 
cent, and  their  cages  of  the  newest  and  most  approved  pattern.  I 
have  never  seen  a  zoological  garden  so  free  from  disagreeable  odours, 


Pa/ace  of  the   IVifids,  Jt'vpote. 


and  I  should  say  that  the  management  was  superior  to  that  of  anv 
other,  not  excepting  Regent's  Park.  In  the  Public  Garden  there  is 
also  an  exceptionally  handsome  museum,  called  Albert  Hall,  the  finest 
new  building  in  all  India,  which  contains  an  interesting  collection  of 
objects  illustrative  of  Indian  manufactures  and  arts. 


ISO 


IN    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


hli:phant  with  state  trappltigs,  Jeypore. 


I  then  went  to  the  alligator  tank,  a  basin  of  water  about  an  acre 
in  extent.  On  the  way  my  guide  bought  some  goat's  flesh,  and  when 
we    arrived    there    the  keeper    attached    the    meat  to  a  rope,  and  then 

called  to  the  alligators,  which 
were  sleeping  at  the  farther 
corner  ot  the  tank.  They 
soon  heard  his  voice  and  un- 
derstood the  meaning  of  the 
call.  It  was  curious  to  see 
them,  in  the  distance,  first 
raise  their  unsightlv  heads  to 
listen,  then  crawl  down  the 
bank,  plunge  into  the  water, 
and  swim  rapidly  in  our  direc- 
tion. A  half  dozen  enormous 
ones  were  soon  struggling  with 
each  other  to  secure  the  food 
offered  them.  After  this  we  were  shown  through  the  palace,  and 
viewed  the  exterior  of  the  Hawal  Mahal,  or  Hall  of  the  Winds,  which 
is  the  part  of  the  palace  where  the  maharajah's  wives  reside.  Great 
preparations  were  in  progress  for  the  marriage  of  his  Highness,  which 
took  place  a  week  later.  Triumphal  arches  were  in  process  of  erec- 
tion, and  the  streets  were  receiving  a  decoration  of  flags  and  coloured 
poles.  I  was  informed  that  the  maharajah  had  already  five  wives,  but 
no  offspring,  and  that  he  was  about  to  complete  the  half  dozen  in 
hopes  that  the  last  union  would  be  fruitful. 

I  then  returned  to  luncheon,  and  spent  the  afternoon  in  driving 
through  the  streets  and  visiting  shops  and  bazaars.  Just  before  dark 
the  scene  in  the  market  place,  outside  the  city  walls,  was  the  most 
characteristically  Oriental  spectacle  that  I  can  remember.  It  was  a 
Mussulman  festival,  and  the  market  place  was  crowded  with  people 
dressed  in  their  gayest  costumes.  The  Mohammedan  women  wore 
trousers  of  a  red   cotton   material,  tight  at  the  ankles,  and   baggy  from 


MOHAMMEDAN  WOMEN.  ■  1 51 

the  knee  to  the  hips ;  while  the  Hindu  women's  costume  was  a  skirt 
and  a  small  jacket,  if  it  could  be  thus  designated,  which  extended 
only  halfway  to  the  elbow,  and  cov^ered  the  upper  part  of  the  bust, 
leaving  a  wide  space  of  their  stomachs  uncovered.  The  women  of 
each  class  had  a  long  piece  of  cotton  cloth  over  the  head  and  extend- 
ing to  the  knees,  which  they  wore  gracefully  adjusted  round  their 
persons.  As  usual,  all  these  women  were  covered,  so  to  speak,  with 
native  jewellery  and  ornaments. 

Many  elephants  and  magnificent  horses  from  the  maharajah's  sta- 
bles were  mixed  up  with  the  masses  of  human  beings,  while  trains  of 
camels  wound  their  way  along,  carrying  loads  to  far-distant  places.  As 
we  were  looking  on  at  this  curious  gathering,  suddenly  through  the 
city  gate  several  carriages  made  their  appearance,  containing  some 
native  princes  escorted  by  a  guard  of  mounted  spearmen,  and  the 
crowd  fell  back  in  haste  to  make  a  passage  for  the  party. 

There  are  several  pleasant  excursions  to  be  made  from  Jeypore  :  one 
to  the  Temple  of  the  Sun,  and  another  to  the  Sanganer  Temple,  which 
contains  some  peculiarly  carved  figures  of  native  gods.  But  the 
principal  attraction  outside  of  Jeypore  is  the  ancient  but  now  deserted 
city  of  Ambar. 

Throughout  India  the  different  districts  have  their  specialties  in 
manufactures,  and  Jeypore  has  a  world-wide  reputation  for  the  excel- 
lence of  its  enamelling. 


J'ragnwnt  of  temple  at  Jeypotc. 


CHAPTER  X. 

IN    WESTERN    INDIA    AND    EGYPT. 

■EDiNESDAY,  Janu- 
ary 27th,  I  took  an 
early  start  for  Ambar,  passing  through 
the  city  and  driving  out  about  four 
miles  farther,  where  the  elephant  which 
had  been  sent  by  the  maharajah's 
orders  was  waiting,  and  I  at  once 
"  transferred  "  from  the  carriage  to  his  back.  He  was  a  huge  animal, 
with  fine  tusks,  and  was  covered  with  handsome  red  trappings.  In 
an  hour  we  reached  the  deserted .  city  of  Ambar,  an  interesting  place, 
strongly  fortified,  and  surrounded  by  a  stone  wall,  in  which  at  regular 
intervals  are  small  towers.  A  troop  of  large,  long-tailed  monkeys — 
wild,  of  course  —  were  running  over  the  housetops  or  jumping  in  the 
branches  of  the  trees,  and  as  we  passed  close  to  them  they  made  ugly 
grimaces  at  us. 

We  dismounted,  and  went  first  to  the  temple  of  the  horrible,  blood- 
thirsty Kali,  at  whose  shrine  a  goat  is  killed  each  morning.  The 
blood  of  the  morning's  sacrifice  was  still  fresh  on  the  pavement,  and 
the  sword  used  by  the  priest  was  ready  in  its  place  for  the  next 
victim   to  be  decapitated.     At  certain  festivals  the  temple  resembles  a 


JOURNEY   TO   AH.\rEDABAD. 


153 


slaughter-house,    for    large    numbers    of    sheep    and    buffaloes    are    also 
offered  up  to  the  sanguinary  deity. 

I  was  then  shown  through  the  palace,  which  contains  many  fine 
rooms.  Some  of  them  are  ornamented  with  small  bits  of  mica  and 
looking-glasses  set  in  the  walls  and  ceilings.  The  view  from  the 
windows  is  exceedingly  picturesque ;  the  surrounding  hills  are  crowned 
with   castles,  and  there  is  a   beautiful  green    valley   in  the   distance. 

By  two  o'clock  I  was  again  at  the  dak  bungalow.  In  the  after- 
noon I  drove  out  seven  miles  to  the  Sanganer  Temple.  This  is  very 
old,  and  quite  unlike  anything 
that  I  had  seen.  It  contains 
a  number  of  marble  idols,  some 
white  and  some  black.  After 
dinner  I  took  the  night  train 
for  Ahmedabad,  it  being  im- 
possible to  begin  the  trip  by 
daylight. 

On  Thursday,  January  2Sth, 
I  spent  the  day  on  the  train. 
I  was  very  comfortable  on  the 
journey,  having  taken  the  pre- 
caution to  reserve  the  whole 
compartment.  Along     the 

route  we  passed  many  fields 
of  grain  of  different  kinds, 
poppies,  and  castor-oil  plants. 
I  was  surprised  to  see  hun- 
dreds of  apes  and  many  adjutant-birds,  some  of  which  were  nearly  as 
large  as  an  ostrich,  quite  near  the  railway.  All  wild  animals  and 
birds  in  India  are  remarkably  tame,  as  they  are  never  disturbed  by 
the  natives.  Arriving  at  Ahmedabad  at  6.30  p.  m.,  I  slept  in  one  of 
the  rooms  provided  for  travellers  in  the  railway  station,  there  being 
no  hotel  there. 


■##|^ 


•^^?^*<i^ 


*M*. 


The  Rajah  of  Kutlam. 


154  I!^'   THE   TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 

Ahmedabad  is  the  principal  city  of  the  province  of  Guzerat,  and 
is  considered  one  of  the  most  picturesque  cities  in  India.  It  is  on  the 
banks  of  Sabarmati  River.  The  town  is  surrounded  by  a  high  wall 
pierced  by  fourteen  gateways,  whose  strong,  spike-studded  doors  of 
teak  are  worthy  of  examination.  These  walls  were  built  previous 
to   1443  by  Ahmed  Shah. 

Architecturally  Ahmedabad  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  cities 
of  the  East.  Two  centuries  ago  it  was  one  of  the  finest  in  India, 
but  it  was  ruined  in  the  Mahratta  wars.  When  it  was  conquered  by 
the  Mussulmans  the  high  civilization  of  its  inhabitants  so  far  influenced 
the  invaders  that  the  temples  continued  to  be  built  largely  in  Indo- 
Saracenic  style,  though  with  adaptation  to  the  change  from  Hindu  to 
Mohammedan  requirements.  The  mosques  have  minarets  and  ornamen- 
tation of  wonderful  richness.  The  city  is  filled  with  beautiful  speci- 
mens of  carving  on  the  doors,  windows,  and  verandas  of  the  houses, 
which  usually  are  made  of  teak    wood. 

I  was  greatly  delighted  with  the  beautiful  architecture  and  carving 
that  I  saw,  especially  at  the  Jumma  Musjid,  the  Rani  Asni,  the  Sidi 
Syed  Shah  Alams,  the  Queen's  mosques,  and  the  magnificent  shrine 
of  Hathi  Sing,  a  Jain  temple  dedicated  to  Dharmanath.  Dada  Hari's 
Well  is  unique,  certainly  wholly  unlike  anything  I  had  previously 
seen.  Steps  lead  down  beneath  the  ground  from  portico  to  portico, 
ending  in  great  pillared  galleries,  and  these  are  all  richly  carved 
through  a  length  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  Thirty  feet  below  the 
surface  is  a  circular  well,  which  is  also  surrounded  by  elaborately 
carved  pillars,  with  cool  retreats  from  the  burning  sun  and  sand. 

The  Pinjapol,  a  large  hospital  for  sick  animals,  covers  three  acres. 
It  is  filled  with  cages,  sheds,  and  pens,  in  which  disabled,  sick,  and 
aged  animals  are  taken  care  of  There  is  a  room  reserved  for  vermin 
taken  off  the  persons  of  very  punctilious  Hindus  who  do  not  wish  to 
kill  even  a  louse  or  a  flea.  These  are  taken  to  the  Pinjapol,  where 
they  are  fed  on  the  bodies  of  men  hired  for  that  purpose. 

At   7.30  p.  M.    I    left    on    the   Bombay,  Baroda,  and    Central    India 


■i^ 


t 


u 


ARRIVAL   AT  BOMBAY. 


155 


Railway.  Through  the  courtesy  of  the  station-master,  a  first-class 
compartment  had  been  reserved  for  me  and  a  fellow-passenger  whom 
I  had  met  on  the  Rosetta,  without  extra  charge.  The  train  was  the 
fastest  and  best  in  every  respect  that   I  travelled  on  in   India. 

On  Saturday  morning,  at  7.30,  I  arrived  at  Bombay,  and  was  met 
at  Church  Gate  Station  by  a  porter  and  drove  at  once  to  the  Es- 
planade Hotel,  whither  I  had  telegraphed  for  rooms.  I  rested  until 
the  afternoon,  when  I  drove  to  the  Towers  of  Silence,  belonging  to 
the  Parsees.  These  towers,  five  in  number,  are  on  Malabar  Hill,  sur- 
rounded by  a  beau- 
tiful garden.  The 
view  of  the  city,  the 
sea,  and  the  neigh- 
bouring bungalows  is 
one  of  the  finest  in 
Bombay.  Perched  on 
the  top  of  the  tow- 
ers are  usually  a  num- 
ber of  vultures  wait- 
ing for  the  approach 
of  a  funeral.  The 
procession  stops  near 
the  tower ;  only  the 
bearers  of  the  corpse 
enter  with  the    body, 

and  lay  it,  with  all  its  clothing  removed,  upon  the  tower's  top.  On 
their  retirement  the  vultures  immediately  descend,  and  in  a  few  min- 
utes devour  the  flesh,  leaving  only  the  bones,  which  are  thrown  into 
a  central  pit  of  the    tower,  to  resolve  themselves  into  dust  and    ashes. 

The  Parsees  were  originally  inhabitants  of  Persia,  but  were  driven 
from  their  native  country  twelve  hundred  years  ago,  and  nearly  all 
are  now  living  in  Bombay,  where  many  of  them  have  acquired  great 
wealth.     Their  peculiar  hat  was  a  novelty  to  me,  as  I  had  seen  but  few 


The  late  Maharaiia  of  Oodeypoor. 


156 


IK    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


of  them  before.  The  name  Bombay  is  derived  from  Bombaim  or 
Mombaim,  a  corruption  of  Mumbader,  the  name  of  a  Hindu  goddess 
whose  shrine  was  there.  The  Portuguese  took  possession  of  the  island 
in  1529,  and  in  1661  it  was  ceded  to  Charles  II  of  England  as  a  part 
of  the  dowry  of  his  wife,  Catherine  of    Braganza.     Since  that  time  it 


pli0 


^  .  a.       .rA  ** 


'fl'^;,>H.1\^i 


^!li'iH\\   Botnbav. 


has  remained  under  British  rule.  The  city  is  decidedly  the  handsom- 
est in  India,  but  it  does  not  afford  the  social  advantages  of  Calcutta 
with  its  vice-regal  court.  The  public  buildings  are  exceptionally  fine. 
The  new  station  of  the  Great  Peninsular  Railway  is  probably  the 
finest  in  existence.  Bombay  is  the  second  cotton  port  in  the  world, 
being  next  in  importance  to  New  Orleans.  There  are  many  cotton 
mills,  the  greater  number  owned  by  Parsees.  These  were  constructed 
between    1861    and    1865,  during  the  war    in  tlie   United  States,  when. 


THE  CAVES  OF  ELEPHANTA.  157 


on  account  of  the  blockade  of  the  Southern  ports,  all  supplies  from 
that  region  ceased. 

Just  before  sunset  the  Apollo  Bunder  is  a  delightful  spot,  com- 
manding a  view  of  the  harbour  and  shipping.  Here  is  the  Yacht 
Club,  to  which  I  was  invited  as  a  visitor.  The  Government  House 
is  at  the  extremity  of  Malabar  Hill,  very  near  the  seashore. 

The  population  of  Bombay  is  about  800,000  persons,  only  five 
per  cent,  of  whom  are  Christians,  including  Europeans  and  Eurasians. 
This  hardly  speaks  well  for  the  proselytizing  power  of  the  mission- 
aries, who  have  laboured  there  for  several  hundred  years. 

On  Sunday,  January  31st,  I  visited  the  Crawford  Market,  which 
is  in  a  handsome  building  and  well  conducted.  The  display  of  trop- 
ical fruits,  grains,  and  vegetables,  as  well  as  the  fish  and  live  birds,  I 
found  highly  interesting.  After  seeing  this,  I  attended  St.  Thomas's 
Cathedral,  a  large  edifice,  with  many  handsome  mural  monuments. 
The  service  was  decidedly   High  Church. 

1  had  received  a  polite  invitation  from  two  native  gentlemen  to 
spend  several  weeks  with  them  shooting  tigers  and  wild  elephants, 
but  after  deliberation  I  concluded  that  I  would  not  postpone  my  de- 
parture, as  the  voyage  to  the  Red  Sea  would  be  uncomfortable  later 
in  the  season.  Sunday  afternoon  I  drove  for  two  hours,  and  enjoyed 
the  cool  breezes  from  the  Arabian   Sea. 

On  Monday,  February  ist,  at  3  p.  m.,  I  embarked  on  a  small 
launch  l)elonging  to  the  Esplanade  Hotel,  at  the  Apollo  Bunder. 
After  a  charming  sail  along  the  water  front,  and  threading  the  mass 
of  native  boats  congregated  near  the  shore,  we  arrived  in  an  hour 
at  the  beautiful  island  where  the  Caves  of  Elephanta  are.  The  tide 
being  out,  the  launch  was  moored,  and  the  passengers  went  ashore 
in  a  small  boat.  We  were  landed  on  a  narrow  breakwater  made 
of  detached  blocks  of  concrete.  A  number  of  steps  —  one  hundred 
and  twenty,  I  believe  —  had  to  be  mounted,  and  then  we  arrived  at 
the  cottage  of  the  custodian.     He  came  out  to   meet   us,  and   proved 

to    be    an    old    soldier.     We   purchased    tickets — for    the  Government 

32 


15^^  /.y    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 

compels  every  one  to  do  this — at  two  annas  each  (equivalent  to  four 
cents),  and  were  then  escorted  into  the  cave,  the  custodian  describ- 
ing it  to  us.  The  cavern  is  hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock,  and  it  is 
certainly  wonderful  with  what  skill  the  columns  and  figures  are  made, 
when  the  tools  that  the  builders  used  are  considered.  It  seemed 
to  be  principally  devoted  to  Siva,  the  destroying  god,  and  in  two 
separate  rooms  are  mammoth  emblems  of  that  disgusting  deity — the 
male  and  female  organs  of  generation.  The  return  trip  was  delight- 
ful, and  we  reached  the  stairs  at  the  Apollo  Bunder  just  as  the  sun 
was  setting.  The  whole  space  was  crowded  with  people  listening  to 
a  band  that  was  playing  in   the  grounds  of  the  Yacht  Club. 

Tuesday,  Wednesday,  Thursday,  and  Friday  were  spent  in  shop- 
ping; in  daily  visits  to  the  Back  Bay  swimming-bath,  which  is  one 
of  the  best  institutions  of  its  kind  that  I  have  seen  ;  and  in  driving, 
and  listening  to  the  military  band  each  afternoon.  The  climate  is 
pleasant  and  salubrious,  the  mornings  and  evenings  being  cool,  with 
a  light  breeze.  In  the  middle  of  the  day  the  sun  was  hot,  but  not 
uncomfortably  so,  and  at  all  times  the  air  was  invigorating  and  brisk. 

The  servants  in  Bombay,  as  in  every  other  part  of  India,  never 
wear  stockings  or  shoes.  This  is  true  of  men  and  women  in  private 
families,  as  well  as  of  those  employed  at  clubs  and  hotels.  In  large 
dining-rooms,  like  those  in  the  great  Eastern  Hotel  at  Calcutta  and 
the  Esplanade  Hotel  at  Bombay,  this  fact  prevents  a  great  deal  of 
noise  and  confusion,  as  no  footsteps  are  heard.  In  the  United  States, 
at  the  large  hotels  in  Saratoga,  Newport,  and  St.  Augustine,  the 
heavy  tread  and  squeaking  boots  of  the  Irish  and  negro  waiters,  to- 
gether with  the  clatter  they  make  with  the  dishes,  are  sometimes 
almost  deafening.  Should  I  again  go  to  Bombay  I  would  take  up 
my  quarters  at  the  Byculla  Club. 

I  was  agreeably  surprised  to  meet  in  Bombay  a  gentleman  and 
his  wife  who  had  been  fellow-travellers  with  me  several  years  before  in 
Yucatan.  One  never  knows  where  he  may  next  meet  his  friends,  for 
in  these  days  of  electricity  and  steam  the  world  is  comparatively  smalL 


tij 


I*) 


FAREWELL    TO  INDIA.  159 


Saturday,  February  6th,  at  noon,  I  left  the  stairs  at  the  Apollo 
Bunder  in  a  steam  launch,  was  conveyed  on  board  the  steamer  that 
should  take  nie  to  Aden,  and  said  farewell  to  the  great  Indian  Em- 
pire. My  recollections  of  India  will  ever  be  pleasant,  although  I  did 
not  depart  with  the  same  keen  regret  as  when  I  sailed  away  from 
Japan.  However,  I  certainly  left  with  the  best  wishes  for  the  won- 
derful country  whose  population  is  composed  of  so  many  races,  creeds, 
and  castes,  and  I  was  firmly  convinced  that  the  government  which 
Great  Britain  has  given  to  the  natives  is  the  best  one  possible  for 
them.  As  they  become  fitted  by  education,  they  are  gradually  acquir- 
ing more  voice  in  the  direction  of  public  affairs  ;  while  in  the  offices 
under  the  Government,  and  in  those  of  the  railways  and  banks  and  in 
the  counting-rooms  of  many  merchants,  they  are  supplanting  European 
employees,  since  they  perform  the  same  work  for  less  wages. 

The  absurdity  of  caste  restrictions  is  becoming  apparent  to  those 
natives  who  have  obtained  a  liberal  education,  and  many  eminent 
Brahman  Ijarristers  have  ceased  to  care  whether  they  are  in  caste  or 
out  of  it ;  while  others,  who  do  not  wish  to  take  the  final  step  of 
separation,  realize  fully  how  foolish  are  the  old  ideas  and   restrictions. 

Two  things  are  essential  for  Indian  prosperity  :  First,  the  higher 
education  of  women  and  their  emancipation  from  compulsory  marriage. 
They  should  be  allowed  to  consult  their  own  wishes,  and  to  remain 
single  as  long  as  they  prefer  that  condition,  instead  of  being  driven 
into  early  marriage  and  bearing  children  while  they  are  children  them- 
selves. Second,  the  remonetization  of  silver  and  the  fixing  of  a  ratio 
between  silver  and  gold.  This  is  a  most  vital  matter,  for  the  present 
fluctuations  are  disastrous  to  trade  and  enterprise.  Britain  has  been 
blind,  in  these  respects,  to  the  interests  of  her  own  land  as  well  as  of 
her  Asiatic  possessions.  At  present,  however,  taken  for  all  in  all,  she 
is  conscientiously  doing  her  best  to  give  India  a  good  government, 
and  protection  to  life  and  property  is  nearly  as  well  assured  as  in 
England  itself,  if  not  more  so ;  and  there  is  much  less  crime,  I  am 
ashamed  to  admit,  in   India  than  in  our  own  great  republic. 


l6o  IN    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 

The  extension  of  railways  is  going  on  steadily,  and  prevents  the 
occurrence  of  famine.  All  up-country  towns  will  have  their  water- 
works before  long ;  and  modern  sanitary  regulations  are  constantly 
introduced  into  city  and  village,  sometimes  against  the  wishes  of  the 
ignorant. 

Once  more  I  found  myself  on  board  a  Peninsular  and  Oriental 
steamer,  this  time  the  Siam,  of  3,050  tons.  Captain  II.  T.  Weighcll, 
bound  for  Aden.  At  2  p.  m.  on  Saturday,  February  6th,  we  hoisted 
our  anchor  and  sailed  out  of  the  harbour  of  Bombay,  and  soon  the 
shore  of  India  faded  from  our  view.  The  first  luncheon  I  enjoyed 
very  much,  it  being  an  agreeable  change  from  the  wretched  food  sup- 
plied at  the  Indian  hotels,  which  are  mostly  very  poor,  the  Great 
Eastern  at  Calcutta  and  the  Esplanade  at  Bombay  being  especially 
dirty  and  badly  managed. 

The  voyage  was  an  ideal  one,  the  Arabian  Sea  being  as  smooth 
as  the  Hudson  River  in  summer,  the  weather  fine,  the  air  of  just  a 
pleasant  temperature,  and  the  silvery  moonlight  shining  every  night. 
On  Thursday  morning  when  I  awoke  we  were  skirting  the  shore  of 
Arabia,  and  at  six  o'clock  we  arrived  at  Aden. 

Aden  is  on  a  barren,  rocky  peninsula  ten  miles  long  and  three  miles 
wide.  The  population  of  the  British  territory  governed  by  the  polit- 
ical resident  is  about  35,000.  Water  is  very  scarce  there,  as  it  rains 
only  once  in  about  three  years.  This  difficulty  is  somewhat  obviated 
by  storing  water  in  huge  tanks  constructed  many  centuries  ago,  of  solid 
masonry,  where  a  supply  for  several  years  can  be  kept  ;  and  now  a 
condensing  apparatus  furnishes  the  shipping  with  all  the  water  necessary. 

A  strong  garrison  is  maintained  at  Aden,  notwithstanding  the  un- 
healthfulness  and  heat  of  the  place,  for  it  guards  the  road  to  India, 
and  is  second  only  to  Gibraltar  in  importance.  The  houses  of  the 
natives  are  built  usually  of  bamboo,  and  placed  in  the  sand  in  a  pecul- 
iar way.  There  is  a  breed  of  sheep  indigenous  to  this  neighbourhood 
which  have  large,  fat  tails  weighing  a  dozen  pounds  or  more,  and 
make  excellent  mutton. 


1^ 


IN   THE  RED   SEA.  l6l 


The  Sultan  of  Lahej  was  formerly  the  ruler  of  Aden,  and  fre- 
quently maile  himself  objectionable  by  plunderinor  Enijlish  ships,  so 
that  in  1839  the  East  India  Company  found  it  necessary  to  send  a 
force  to  punish  him.  After  a  sharp  fight  the  place  was  captured,  and 
it  has  remained  ever  since  under  the  British  flag.  The  opening  of 
the  Suez  Canal  gave  Aden  great  importance  both  as  a  coaling-station 
and  as  a  protection  to  commerce. 

As  we  approached  the  town  we  saw  lying  at  anchor,  besides  sev- 
eral war  ships,  the  two  Peninsular  and  Oriental  boats  that  were  to 
connect  with  the  Siam,  viz.,  the  Cathay  for  Marseilles,  and  the  Bri- 
tannia, of  6,257  tons,  Captain  Julius  Orman,  R.  N.  R.,  for  Brindisi,  the 
latter  being  the  ship  to  which  I  was  transferred.  She  is  one  of  the 
Jubilee  boats,  the  finest  in  the  service. 

Soon  after  casting  anchor  we  were  taken  on  a  tender,  with  our 
luggage,  and  sent  over  to  the  Britannia,  everything  being  conducted 
without  confusion  or  noise.  The  scene,  when  we  went  on  board,  was 
quite  different  from  anything  I  had  witnessed  on  shipboard.  It  was 
the  dinner  hour,  and  the  passengers  —  both  ladies  and  gentlemen  — 
were  dressed  in  evening  costume.  The  ship  is  beautifully  decorated, 
and  has  splendid  wide  decks,  the  effect  being  like  that  of  the  veranda 
of  a  summer  hotel  at  the  seaside.  The  passengers  were  mostly  Aus- 
tralians, who  are  quite  a  different  people  from  native-born   Britons. 

At  10  p.  M.  we  left  Aden,  the  full  moon  shining  and  not  a  ripple 
on  the  water,  and  passed  through  the  Strait  of  Bab-el-Mandeb  into 
the  Red  Sea  during  the  night. 

The  weather  remained  pleasant,  becoming  cooler  as  we  pursued 
our  way  northward ;  and  the  water  was  as  tranquil  as  the  traditional 
mill-pond.  Each  day  we  passed  steamers,  and  occasionally  we  saw 
some  barren,  uninhabited  islands.  Most  of  the  passengers  had  been 
on  board  for  nearly  a  month,  and  were  very  sociable  and  friendly. 
Concerts,  literary  entertainments,  and  athletic  sports  followed  one 
another    almost    daily,    and    relieved    somewhat    the    monotony    of  the 

voyage. 

33 


1 62  IX    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUX. 

There  were  several  particularly  handsome  younj?  Australian  ladies, 
tall,  stalwart,  and  smart  in  appearance,  and  with  an  ease  of  manner 
more  American  than  Enfrlish.  There  were  also  several  Americans 
aboard,  and  1  was  much  struck  with  the  shrill  twang  of  the  ladies' 
voices  as  compared  with  the  Australians'.  I  remember  going  to  New- 
port with  Monsignor  Capel,  when  he  was  in  favor  with  the  "high- 
lifers"  at  that  fashionable  resort — of  course  before  he  fell  into  disre- 
pute— and  when  asked  what  American  peculiarity  he  had  especially 
noticed,  he  answered  without  hesitation,  "  The  high-pitched  voices  of 
your  women,  which  at  a  kettledrum  or  reception  become  a  nasal 
shriek."  This  unfortunately  is  true,  and  I  am  sorry  to  say  that 
it  is  more  evident  among  the  women  than  among  the  men  of  our 
country.  I  do  not  advocate  copying  the  English  pronunciation, 
for  a  nation  with  a  population  of  sixty-five  million  has  certainly  a 
right  to  pronounce,  spell,  and  speak  as  it  chooses,  without  regard  to 
what  other  nations  may  do  ;  but  what  an  improvement  it  would  be 
if  we  modulated  our  voices  as  the  Italians  do,  and  enunciated  our 
words  with  a  musical  intonation — "  an  excellent  thing  in  woman " ! 
This  would  be  a  good  theme  for  one  of  Ward  McAllister's  Chester- 
fieldian  letters.  In  matters  of  this  kind  the  dictum  of  a  leader  of 
society  might  work  a  change  where  the  proclamation  of  the  Chief 
Magistrate,  if  such  a  thing  were  possible,  would  be  ineffectual. 

On  Saturday,  February  13th,  we  passed  Jeddah,  the  port  of  Mecca, 
but  at  a  considerable  distance,  and  Sunday  night,  at  nine  o'clock,  our 
voyage  through  the  Red  Sea  was  ended,  for  at  that  time  our  good 
ship  entered  the  narrow  Gulf  of  Suez.  Here,  on  our  right,  was  Mount 
Sinai,  which  is  not  a  solitary  peak,  as  it  is  generally  supposed  to  be, 
but  rather  a  group  of  mountains.  The  spot  is  pointed  out  where, 
according  to  tradition,  Moses  received  the  Ten  Commandments.  It 
is  now  called  Jebel  Moosa,  and  is  perhaps  seven  thousand  feet  above 
the  sea. 

Early  on  Monday  morning  we  approached  Suez,  the  entrance  to 
that  marvel  of  modern  engineering  which  connects  the  waters  of  Eu- 


THE  SUEZ  CANAL. 


163 


rope  and  Asia.  Canals  were  cut  there  in  ancient  times,  and  Napoleon 
Bonaparte  had  a  plan  for  one  which  he  did  not  have  the  opportunity 
of  executing.  The  honour  of  carrying  to  completion  the  project  of  the 
present  canal  belongs  entirely  to  the  ability  and  energy  of  Ferdinand 
de  Lesseps,  who  spent  the  best  part  of  his  life  in  the  development  of 
the  enterprise,  which  he  successfully  finished,  although  many  of  the 
best  English  engineers  considered  it  not  feasible.  The  total  original 
cost  of  the  Suez  Canal  was  about  twenty  millions  sterling.  At  first 
it  was  not  profital)le,  but  it  was  used  more  each  year,  until  now  it  is 
paying  well.  One  of  the  most  brilliant  acts  of  Lord  IJeaconsfield's 
government,  in  1S76,  was  the  acqui- 
sition by  England,  for  four  million 
pounds,  of  the  Egyptian  interest  in 
the  canal;  for  in  1894,  when  these 
shares  will  receive  their  full  rights 
again,  the  value  will  be  fully  three 
times  the  original  cost,  England  hav- 
ing had  five  per  cent,  interest  yearly. 
From  Suez  to  Port  Said  the  dis- 
tance is  eighty-seven  miles,  Ismailia 
being  about  halfway. 

The  width  of  the  canal  channel 
for  deep  vessels  is  seventy-two  feet, 
the  whole  distance;  and  at  frequent 
intervals  -are  garcs,  or  sidings,  to  en- 
able ships  to  pass  one  another.  The  electric  light  now  used  on 
steamers  makes  it  possible  for  them  to  go  through  by  night  with 
the  same  facility  as  by  day.  By  the  official  tables,  in  1890,  2,522 
ships  of  Great  Britain,  of  a  gross  tonnage  of  7,438,682  tons,  passed 
through  the  canal,  to  three  United  States  ships  of  a  gross  tonnage 
of  2,112  tons.  These  are  figures  on  which  it  would  be  well  for  the 
Solons  of  our  national  legislature  to  reflect,  with  a  view  to  discovering 
some  means  of  creating  a  mercantile  marine  for  the   United  States. 


An  Egyptian  i~idt'> 


164  IN   THE   TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 

At  the  Bitter  Lakes,  traversed  by  the  canal,  the  supposed  spot 
is  pointed  out  at  which  the  children  of  Israel  made  their  miracu- 
lous passage,  where  the  hosts  of  Pharaoh  were   swallowed  up. 

In  appearance  the  canal  is  like  a  large  ditch,  the  banks  being 
rough  and  without  vegetation,  as  it  passes  only  through  the  desert. 
VVe  set  out  from  Suez  at  9  a.  m.,  but  unfortunately,  about  three 
hours  later,  our  ship  ran  ashore  on  the  west  side  and  remained 
there,  blocking  the  canal  until  4.30  i'.  m.  Vessels  of  the  size  of  the 
Britannia  rarely  succeed  in  making  the  passage  without  a  delay  of 
this  kind,  which  could  be  avoided  by  increasing  the  width  of  the 
channel  a  little.  This  widening,  of  course,  would  be  expensive,  but 
the  benefits  to  commerce  therefrom  would  be  so  great  that  I  have 
no  doubt  it  will  soon  be  effected.  We  were  detained  a  second  time 
at  the  Bitter  Lakes,  and  anchored  for  two  hours,  arriving  at  Ismailia 
at    1 1    p.  M. 

The  passage  through  the  canal  at  night  is  very  beautiful  and  bril- 
liant. The  powerful  search-light  at  the  bow  of  the  ship  illuminates 
not  only  the  water  way  but  also  both  banks,  giving  a  peculiarly  weird 
look  to  the  surroundings,  making  the  shore  appear  like  snow,  and 
the  white  buoys  by  which  the  channel  is  marked  seem  to  be  of  trans- 
parent glass.  The  green  and  red  gasoline  beacons  add  to  the  strange- 
ness of  the  scene. 

We  passengers  were  taken  on  board  a  tender  and  brought  with- 
out incident  to  the  shore,  whence  I  went  to  the  Victoria  Hotel, 
kept  in  French  style,  and  there  slept  comfortably,  although  not  luxuri- 
ously. The  next  morning  m\'  luggage  was  passed  by  the  customs, 
and  at  12.40  I  left  for  Cairo  on  the  railway,  passing  on  the  way 
the  battle-field  of  Tel-el-Kebir.  The  breastworks  thrown  up  by  the 
English  are  distinctly  seen,  and  near  the  station  is  the  little  cemetery 
in  which  are  interred  the  brave  fellows  who  fell.  Here  the  army  of 
Arabi  Pasha  was  defeated  and  his  power  in  Egypt  terminated.  The 
action  of  England  at  this  time  casts  one  of  the  greatest  stains  on 
her   record,  and  stands    out    prominent  among    the   many  instances  of 


Bedouin  sheik  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Ghaza. 


THE  ENGLISH  I.X  EGYPT. 


165 


her  brutality  and  her  bullying  of  weaker  nations.  The  interference 
in  Egyptian  affairs  was  in  reality  in  behalf  of  the  bondholders  who 
had  foolishly  loaned  their  money  to  a  spendthrift  Khedive.  The  bom- 
bardment of  Alexandria  was  inexcusable ;  the  subsequent  occupation 
of  the  country,  and  the  piling  on  of  taxes  to  pay  the  debt  held  by 
foreigners,  was  unjust   to    the  poor  Egyptian  fellahs,  and   an    insult   to 


Shepht-ariV s  liotcl,    Cairo. 


the  Sultan  of  Turkey,  from  whom  the  Khedive  derives  his  authority. 
But  good  sometimes  arises  out  of  evil,  and  the  government,  since  it 
came  under  the  direction  of  Sir  Evelyn  Baring  —  for  he  is  the  real 
ruler  —  has  been  improved  in  every  department  ;  and  for  the  young 
Khedive  who   has  just  succeeded  the  prospects  are  very  bright. 


i66 


/.\-    77/A"    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


At  IsmaTlia  I  was  delis^htcd  with  tin-  climate,  cool  and  bracing, 
with  continuous  sunshine.  Nothing  can  be  finer  than  Egypt  in  win- 
ter. l-"or  some  distance  after  leaving  Ismailia  the  train  passes  through 
the  desert,  but  after  a  little  time  it  enters  the  fertile  district  irrigated 
from  the  Nile,  and  the  contrast  between  the  dreary  waste  of  sand 
and   the  green   fields  is  most  striking. 


I'it'w  on  the  Xilc. 


As  I  approached  Cairo  the  great  pyramids  loomed  up  in  the 
distance.  At  5  p.  m.  I  arrived,  and  took  a  carriage  to  Shepheard's 
Hotel,  where  I  found  a  room  reserved  for  me,  for  which  I  had  tele- 
graphed— for  this  is  the  favourite  hotel,  and  it  is  difficult  to  get  ac- 
commodations. What  a  change  it  was  !  I  felt  as  if  I  were  once  more 
in  the  domain  of  civilization.  All  the  appointments  were  good,  and 
the  table  d'hote  dinner,  to  which   every  one  goes,  was  excellent. 


34 


Base  of  the  Great  Pyramid. 


AROUND   CAIRO.  167 


On  Wednesday,  February  1 7th,  I  secured  the  services  of  an  Arab 
o-uide  named  Hassan  Wyse,  and  drove  first  to  the  great  museum  at 
Ghizeh  and  spent  some  time  in  lookin<x  at  its  fine  collection,  which 
illustrates  the  ancient  history  of  the  country.  Many  mummies  that 
have  been  identified  as  those  of  the  former  kings  are  shown  in  an 
almost  perfect  state  of  preservation,  besides  other  interesting  objects. 
I  continued  then  to  tiie  pyramids,  over  an  excellent  road  lined  with 
large  shade  trees,  a  road  constructed  prior  to  the  visit  of  the  Prince 
of  Wales  in  1868.  I  stopped  at  the  Mena  House,  an  excellent  hotel 
within  ten  minutes'  walk  of  the  Great  Pyramid  of  Cheops.  Here,  at 
one  o'clock,  I  had  my  breakfast,  and  afterwards  went  to  the  top,  and 
into  the  interior  chamber  of  the  pyramid.  The  ascent  to  the  apex 
is  difficult,  but  with  the  assistance  of  two  stout  Arab  lads  I  accom- 
plished it  without  much  fatigue.  Having  finished  the  inspection  of 
Cheops,  I  mounted  a  camel  and  rode  over  to  the  Sjihinx,  which  is 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  awav.  The  Sphinx  was  in  existence  when 
the  Great  Pyramid  was  built.  Its  body  is  cut  from  the  natural  rock 
— in  place,  as  a  geologist  would  say — the  defects  here  and  there  be- 
ing filled  out  with  mason-work.  The  head  is  carved  out  completely. 
What  divinitv  was  worshipped  in  the  sanctuary  between  its  paws,  is 
a  riddle  for  the  Sphinx   to  answer. 

At  a  little  distance  the  Great  Pyramid  does  not  seem  so  high 
as  it  is.  One  does  not  fully  realize  its  size  until  he  stands  at  its 
base  and  looks  up.  Sir  Gardner  Wilkinson  gives  the  dimensions  as 
follows:  Base  line,  732  feet;  height,  460  feet;  area  of  base,  535,824 
square  feet.  If  it  were  to  be  set  down  in  Union  Square,  New  York, 
there  would  be  room  for  it  on  the  north-and-south  line,  but  some 
buildings  would  have  to  be  cut  awav  on  the  east  or  west  side  ;  and 
its  apex  would  be  three  times  as  high  as  the  loftiest  building  that 
fronts  the  square. 

Returning,  I  stopped  to  see  the  Palace  of  Gezeereh,  which  is  built 
directly  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  opposite  Boolak.  There  is  a  neatly 
laid-out  garden  attached  to    it,  and    the    palace    interior    itself  is    very 


1 68  IN   THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


handsome.  When  I  arrived  at  the  hotel  asi^ain,  T  felt  tired  hut  not 
exhausted,  for  the  air  is  full  of  ozone. 

"  He  who  has  not  seen  Cairo  has  not  seen  the  world,"  says  the 
Jewish  physician  in  The  Story  of  the  Humpback;  "its  soil  is  gold, 
its  Nile  is  a  wonder;  its  women  are  like  the  black-eyed  virgins  of 
paradise."  Cairo  is  certainly,  as  a  residence,  the  most  attractive  of 
Oriental  cities,  combining  all  the  luxuries  of  Western  civilization  with 
the  ancient  Mohammedan  customs  and  habits.  The  new  part  of  th(; 
town  has  a  decidedly  French  appearance,  with  handsome  villas  sur- 
rounded by  well-kept  gardens,  good  roads  with  wide  sidewalks,  and 
shade  trees  to  protect  one  from  the  sun;  while  in  old  Cairo  every- 
thing is  as  unchanged  as  in  Stamboul  or  Damascus. 

On  Thursday,  February  19th,  I  drove  to  the  ruins  of  Heliopolis,  or 
"  City  of  the  Sun."  The  only  object  of  interest  there  is  the  celebrated 
obelisk,  similar  to  those  now  standing  in  Paris,  Rome,  London,  and 
New  York.  In  the  neighbourhood  is  the  sycamore  tree  under  which 
the  Holy  Family  are  said  to  have  rested  during  their  flight  into 
Egypt.  The  tree  certainly  does  not  look  as  if  it  were  1800  years 
old,  and  if  that  is  a  fact  it  is  a  miracle.  A  short  distance  from  this 
tree  is  an  ostrich  farm,  owned  by  a  French  company,  where  nearly  a 
thousand  of  the  birds  are  kept.  It  is  well  worth  a  visit,  everything 
about  the  place  being  admirably  arranged. 

As  I  was  driving  back  I  met  the  new  Khedive,  who  looks  like 
an  amiable  and  intelligent  young  prince.  I  also  passed  a  large  num- 
ber of  Egyptian  troops,  who  are  an  exceptionally  fine  body  of  men. 

A  great  change  has  taken  place  in  the  efficiency  of  the  army  since 
it  was  reorganized  under  British  officers.  In  Cairo  one  meets  many 
of  the  Moslem  ladies  driving  in  broughams.  They  wear  but  a  thin 
gossamer  veil  over  their  faces,  so  that  their  features  can  be  seen 
easily.  Many  of  them  are  very  beautiful,  with  large,  lustrous  black 
eyes  and  fine  complexions. 

In  the  afternoon  I  visited  the  old  Mosque  of  the  Sultan  Hassan, 
which    dates    from    1357,  and  which,  though  rather  dilapidated,  is  con- 


^ 


t^ 


ATTRACTIOXS  OF    THE  CITY. 


169 


sidered  by  some  judges  the  finest  in  Cairo.  Tlien  I  went  to  the 
citadel,  and  saw  the  superb  modern  Mosque  of  Mehemet  Ali,  built  in 
1829,  the  interior  of  which  is  of  Oriental  alabaster.  From  the  cita- 
del a  grand  view  is  obtained  of  the  city  and  surrounding  country,  the 
pyramids  being  plainly  visible.  The  other  objects  of  interest  are  the 
spot  where  the  Mamelukes  were  slaughtered  (all  but  one — Emin  Bey, 
who  jumped    his    horse  down  the    terrace,  killing  the  animal  t)ut  sav- 


Gate  of  the   Citadel,    Cairo, 

ing  his  own  life)  ;  and  Joseph's  Well,  which  is  not  called  after  him 
of  the  coat  of  many  colours,  but  after  Saladin,  whose  name  in  Arabic 
was  Youssoof,  or  Joseph.  Continuing  to  the  tombs  of  the  Caliphs,  I 
lingered  to  see  where  the  late  Khedive  was  buried  about  a  month 
before,  and,  after  a  short   stop  in  the  bazaar,  got  back  to  Shepheard's 


170  IN   THE   TRACK  OF   THE  SUX. 


in  time    for  a  refreshing   cup    of  afternoon    tea   on    the   hotel    terrace 
facing  the  street,  where  all  the  guests  congregate  at  this  hour. 

iMiday,  February  19th,  1  spent  pleasantly,  visiting  old  Cairo,  where 
I  lie  curious  Coptic  church  is  built  over  a  spot  at  which  it  is  said  the 
\'irgin,  St.  Joseph,  and  the  child  Jesus  Christ  rested  during  the  flight 
into  Egypt.  The  church  is  very  old  and  curious.  The  priests,  I  am 
sorry  to  say,  I  found  as  anxious  for  backsheesh  as  any  Mohammedans. 
The  Mosque  of  Omar,  now  deserted,  is  interesting  ;  so  also  is  the  nil- 
ometer,  which  marks  the  rise  of  the  Nile.  After  this  I  passed  the  tombs 
of  the  Mamelukes,  and  saw  the  dancing  and  howling  dervishes  ;  and 
I   left  Cairo  in  a  sleeping-car,  at   7  i-.  m.,  for  Assiout. 


Arabian  'woman. 


Bedouins  earning'  thrir  anUiun. 


CHAPTER    XI. 


ON    THE    NILE. 

ATURDAY,  February  20th,  I  arrived  at  As- 
siout  at  6  A.  M.,  going  at  once  on  board 
the  steamboat  Amerartas,  of  Thomas  Cook 
and  Son's  Nile  flotilla,  and  soon  after- 
ward set  out  on  my  way  south.  Assiout 
is  two  hundred  and  twenty -three  miles 
from  Cairo  by  train,  and  a  little  farther  by 
the  river.  The  water  of  the  Nile  is  very 
muddy,  and  the  spots  on  the  shore  that  are  irrigated  are  green 
and  beautiful  to  look  upon,  but  the  land  elsewhere  is  dreary  and 
uninhabited.  In  many  j^laces  it  reminded  me  of  the  Colorado 
River  at  Fort  Yuma,  in  Arizona  Territory.  The  flies  in  Upper  Egypt 
are  a  great  nuisance,  and  one  must  have  a  l)rush  always  ready  to  keep 
them  off. 

At   sunset    we    arrived    at    Girgeh,    after   a    voyage    of  eighty-eight 

miles,   and  made  fast  to    the    bank    for    the    night.     This    is    mostly    a 

35 


1/2  /A'    THE    TRACK  OF   THE  SUA. 


mudvvn  town,  llic  only  olijccl  ut  interest  l)cing  tlic  Latin  niunastcry, 
the  oldest   establishment  of  its  kind   in    Egypt. 

Throughout  this  country  are  many  caves,  which  in  the  earlv  days 
of  Christianity  were  inhabited  bv  pious  monks  and  hermits,  who 
thought  thev  were  ])leasing  (iod  by  mortifying  the  Hcsh,  fasting,  and 
living  in  dirt  and  hlth,  and  who  in  the  fulfilment  of  absurd  vows 
went  into  the  desert  to  live  in  a  tomb  or  cavern  to  carry  out  self- 
inflicted  penances.  Let  us  be  thankful  that  we  live  in  an  age  when 
cleanliness  and  decency,  as  well  as  godliness,  are  considered  requi- 
sites of  a  good  Christian  in  a  large  part  of  the  world,  though  not, 
I  am  sorry  to  say,  where  our  religion  originated.  It  is  in  Pales- 
tine and  Egypt  that  a  new  reformation  should  occur,  to  purify  the 
habits  and  ideas  of  the  people,  and  to  obliterate  the  spurious  sacred 
places  which  so  greatly  encourage  superstition  among  the  ignorant. 

On  Sunday,  February  21st,  we  were  able  to  see  a  greater  width 
of  arable  land,  and  we  passed  many  villages  of  mud  houses,  sur- 
rounded by  date-palms  and  filled  with  dirty  Arabs.  They  were  very 
picturesque,  however,  as  seen  from  the  deck  of  the  steamboat. 

Among  our  passengers  was  General  Grenfell,  the  Sirdar  or  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  Khedive's  army,  accompanied  by  his  staff.  He 
is  a  large,  fine-looking  man,  amiable  and  entertaining.  To  him  is  due 
in  a  large  measure  the  present  efficiency  of  the  Egyptian  army,  and 
the  gradual  reduction  of  taxation  in  the  land.  At  night  on  the  Nile 
the  air  in  winter  is  keen  and  cold,  and  the  passenger  requires  heavy 
clothing ;  but  for  several  hours  during  the  dav  the  sun  is  hot,  and 
the  glare  is  trying  to  one's  eyes,  even  when  he  takes  the  precaution 
to  wear  smoked-glass  spectacles. 

We  moored  for  the  night  at  Keneh,  where  were  several  daha- 
bcahs,  and  also  the  tourist  steamer  that  makes  the  voyage  to  the 
First  Cataract,  returning  in  three  weeks.  These  prolonged  trips  I 
should  think  would  be  tedious,  for  there  is  such  a  sameness  in  the 
scenery  that  a  half-hour's  sail  gives  one  a  perfect  idea  of  what  the 
rest  will  be. 


Soitdanfse  warrior. 


UP    THE  NILE. 


173 


Monday,  February  22cl,  we  arrived  at  Luxor  at  3.30  p.  m.  ;  but  I 
decided  to  proceed  to  Assouan,  and  visit  the  ruins  of  Thebes,  Karnak, 
and  Luxor  on  my  return.  We  left  again  at  4.30,  and  lay  up  for  the 
night  at  Esneh.  The  crop  raised  here  is  mostly  sugar-cane,  and  at 
different  points  on  the  river  there  are  numerous  refineries,  some  very 
large,  with  the  most   modern   machinery. 


.-/   dahabcah  on  the  Nile. 


Tuesday,  Februarv  23d,  at  10  a.  m.,  we  stopped  at  Edfou.  Here 
is  a  fine  temple,  the  inspection  of  which  we  reserved  for  the  return 
trip,  when  the  boat  makes  a  longer  tarry.  On  the  bank  were  a  group 
of  about  fifty  wild-looking  Soudanese  or  Nubians,  the  first  we  had 
seen.     They   have  but   little  clothing,  wear  their   hair  in   long  ringlets, 


1/4  /A'    T}IE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUX. 


and  arc  an   active,  muscular   race,  far   more   courao^eous    than    the    ]xi- 
tient,  much-abused    I^'gyptian  fellaheen. 

While  we  delayed  at  lulfou,  Sir  T^rancis  Grenfcll,  in  full  uniform, 
gave  a  reception  on  the  deck  of  the  Amcrartas  to  the  officials  and 
sheiks  of  that  district.  They  were  refreshed  with  coffee  and  cigar- 
ettes, and  then  left  with  much  hand-kissing  and  salaaming.  Going 
on  shore,  they  performed  a  sort  of  war-dance,  with  a  hrandishment  of 
their  large,  two-handed  swords  and  spears,  which  ended  the  ceremony. 

On  the  Nile  trip  we  met  many  dahabcahs  with  parties  of  tour- 
ists and  invalids.  Only  two  flags  were  represented — the  English  and 
the  American — those  carrying  the  Stars  and  Stripes  being  in  a  ma- 
)ority  of  about  three  to  one.  At  Daraou  there  was  another  recep- 
tion, in  which  Sir  Francis  Grenfell  was  the  personage  welcomed. 
As  we  approached,  a  large  Bedouin  sheik,  dressed  in  a  long  scarlet 
robe  and  snow-white  turban,  canying  a  huge  scimetar  in  a  silver 
scabbard,  and  mounted  on  a  beautiful  chestnut  Arabian  stallion  in 
purple  caparisons  embroidered  with  gold,  awaited  the  arrival  of  the 
boat.  He  was  accompanied  by  a  retinue  mounted  on  camels  and 
horses,  the  whole  forming  an   interesting  assemblage. 

As  we  were  to  lie  at  Daraou  all  night,  I  took  advantage  of  the 
two  hours  of  daylight  remaining  to  go  on  donkey-back  to  the  town, 
a  half-mile  distant.  My  road  lay  over  a  dusty  plain,  and  I  never 
have  seen  a  more  miserable  village.  Its  houses  are  built  of  sun-dried 
mud  bricks,  presenting  no  evidences  of  comfort.  Still,  the  people 
seemed  to  be  cheerful  and  happy,  showing  that  wealth  and  luxury 
are  not   indispensable  for  making  men   so. 

That  evening,  after  dinner,  three  lovely  young  English  girls,  who 
were  in  the  party  of  General  and  Lady  Grenfell,  sang,  with  banjo 
accompaniment,  such  familiar  airs  as  "  Marching  through  Georgia," 
"  'Way  down  upon  the  Suwanee  River,"  and  "  Rally  round  the  Flag, 
Bovs ! "  and  the  effect  over  the  still  waters  of  the  Nile  was  delight- 
ful.  It  seems  that  the  old  American  war-songs  have  just  reached 
England,  and  at  present   are  very  popular  there. 


A    Turkish  and  an  Egyptian  woman. 


THE  ISLAND   OF  PHIL.E.  1 75 

On  Wednesday,  February  24th,  we  arrived  at  Assouan,  at  9  a.  m. 
This  town,  sev^en  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  the  Mediterranean 
and  five  hundred  and  eighty-five  miles  from  Cairo,  is  the  market  for 
the  Soudan  and  Central  Africa.  The  population,  about  four  thou- 
sand, is  composed  of  Arabs,  Greeks,  negroes,  Soudanese,  and  Bedou- 
ins, in  every  style  of  dress  and  undress.  The  bazaar  contains  wild 
beasts'  skins,  ebony  clubs,  lances,  poisoned  arrows,  and  necklaces  of 
beads  and  shells. 

The  Nubian  girls  are  lithe,  slight,  and  stately;  and  I  was  struck 
with  the  appropriateness  to  them  of  the  description  of  Mother  Eve, 
as  being  "  in  naked  beauty  more  adorned,"  their  sole  costume  in  this 
serene  and  glowing  climate  being  an  apron  around  the  loins — and 
somewhat  of  the  slenderest  too — composed  of  loose  thongs  of  leather 
decorated  with  small   shells. 

There  were  five  of  us  who  soon  after  our  arrival  set  out  on  don- 
keys. My  companions  were  three  young  Frenchmen  such  as  one 
rarely  finds  except  on  the  Boulevards  in  Paris,  or  at  Trouville  or 
Dieppe,  and  a  stolid  German  from  Leipsic.  None  of  these  gentle- 
men could  speak  a  word  of  any  language  except  his  own ;  so  that 
the  conversation,  while  friendly,  was  not  animated.  ^Ve  galloped 
through  the  narrow  streets  of  Assouan,  and  then  struck  out  into  the 
desert,  passing  a  dreary  Moslem  cemetery,  where  a  funeral  was  tak- 
ing place.  Men  were  lowering  the  body  into  the  subterranean  cham- 
ber that  receives  the  Moslem  dead,  and  at  a  little  distance  was  a 
group  of  women  loudly  wailing  and  lamenting.  Soon  after  this  we 
reached  the  granite  quarries  where  all  the  obelisks  that  have  stood 
in  Egypt  were  obtained.  One  still  lies  uncompleted  in  the  quarrv, 
rendered  useless  by  a  large  flaw.  Leaving  the  quarries,  we  went  on 
through  the  barren,  sandy  plain,  until  we  came  to  the  river,  nearly 
opposite  the  sacred  isle  of  Phila?,  and  crossed  in  a  large  boat, 
rowed  by  eight  lusty  Nubians.  Philse  is  a  small  island  which  for- 
merly   was    entirely    covered  with    buildings.     The  principal  ruins  now 

remaining  are  the  great  Temple   of    Isis,  founded  by  Ptolemy    II,  or 
36 


176  IN    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SU.W 


I'liiladclphus  ;  the  Temples  of  ^Esculapius  and  Athnr,  the  Eg:yptian 
W'luis  ;  and  the  so-called  Pharaoh's  bed.  The  Temple  ot  Isis  is  almost 
whole ;  the  carvings  and  colouring  arc  well  preserved,  and  the  entire 
effect  is  impressive  and  beautiful.  1  am  ashamed  to  be  obliged  to 
record  tlie  fact  that  the  early  Christians  defaced  with  hammers  and 
mud  all  the  fine  carving  and  painting  that  was  accessible  to  them. 

An  excellent  luncheon  was  sent  up  from  the  steamboat,  and  we 
picknicked  in  the  temple. 

Opposite  Philge  is  the  starting-point  for  Wady  Haifa  and  the  Sec- 
ond Cataract,  and  the  steamboat  was  now  at  the  wharf  ;  but  my  time 
would  not  permit  me  to  go  farther  into  the  desert.  We  descended 
the  cataract  in  our  boat  to  Assouan,  stopping  at  a  dangerous  point 
to  see  some  naked  Nubians  ride  logs  through  the  boiling  current. 
We  took  a  different  channel,  and  found  running  the  rapids — for  that 
is  what  we  should  call  them  in  America — pleasant,  exciting,  and  not 
at  all  dangerous.  From  Phihe  to  Assouan  the  scenery  is  wild  and 
weird.  Miss  Martineau  calls  it,  with  much  aptness,  "fantastic  and 
impish" — the  large  rocks  having  been  cut  into  all  kinds  of  peculiar 
shapes  by  the  immemorial  action  of  the  water  at  the  times  of  annual 
inundation.  The  colour,  too,  is  often  black  and  polished,  with  a  gleam 
like  that  of  anthracite  coal.  To  add  to  the  strangeness  of  the  scene, 
the  boatmen  sang  occasionally  a  sort  of  Gregorian  chant,  which  echoed 
among  the  crags ;  and  the  sense  of  aged  Egypt — the  land  v.'here 
the  same  Sphin.x  that  CEdipus  questioned  still  stares  over  the  "  an- 
tres  vast  and  deserts  idle" — broods  in  everything,  invincibly  powerful. 

By  4  p.  M.  we  were  landed  at  Assouan,  and  we  spent  the  rest  of 
the  afternoon  in  the  bazaar,  bargaining  with  the  natives,  returning  to 
the  Amerartas  in  time  for  the  eight-o'clock  dinner.  The  evenings 
were  always  delightful,  and  I  cannot  tell  what  a  feeling  of  content- 
ment comes  over  the  journeyer  as  he  sits  on  deck  after  a  good  re- 
past, sipping  a  cup  of  cafe  turqnc,  and  perhaps  listening  to  the  strains 
of  music  that  steal  across  the  water  from  some  neighbouring  dalia- 
bcah.      To  get  away    from  business  and  newspapers,  and  to  divert  the 


Sp/u'iix  at  Kiuiiak. 


EGYPTIAN  HISTORY.  177 


thoughts  into  totally  different  channels,  is  a  gram!  sanitation,  which 
acts  like  a  Um\c  on  the  mind  and  body  and  adds  years  to  one's  life. 
That  night  I  slejit  well  —  whether  from  fatigue,  or  from  the  feeling 
of  satisfaction  and  exultation  at  having  penetrated  into  Nubia,  I  can- 
not now  remcml)er. 

In  Egypt  is  to  be  found  the  earliest  authentic  record  of  humanity, 
extending  5,004  years  before  the  Christian  era.  The  history  has  been 
divided  into  ten  periods,  viz.: 

Ancient   Egyptian   Empire r..  c.  5004  to  b.  c.  3064. 

Middle  Egyptian   Empire li.  c.  3064  to  B.C.  1703. 

New    Egyptian    Empire 1;.  c.  1703  to  n.  c.  525. 

Persian    domination b.  c.  525  to  li.  c.  323. 


J 


o. 


Ptolemaic  period b.  c.      t,2t,  to  b.  i 

Roman   domination b.  c.       30  to  .a.  d.  395. 

Byzantine  period a.  d.     395  to   a.  n.  63S. 

Arab  period a.  d.     63S  to   a.  d.  1517. 

Turkish    domination a.  d.   15 17  to  a.  d.  1798. 

Modern  period a.  d.   1798  to  a.  d.  1893. 

The  ancient  Egyptians  have  left  on  their  monuments  the  imperish- 
able traces  of  their  habits,  their  customs,  and  their  history  ;  and  those 
traces  show  a  very  civilized  condition  to  have  existed.  In  religion 
they  at  first  believed  in  but  one  God  ;  later,  polytheism  spread  through 
the  land,  and  each  city  had  its  own  series  of  deities,  but  all  wor- 
shipped the  chief  gods,  Osiris  and  Isis.  During  the  Roman  domina- 
tion Christianity  supplanted  the  ancient  worship ;  and  afterward,  in 
the  Arab  period,  Mohammedanism  almost  entirely  drove  out  Chris- 
tianity. The  Copts  of  the  present  day  are  the  representatives  of  those 
who  remained  faithful  to  the  Cross.  By  the  last  census  they  numbered 
four  hundred  thousand  out  of  a  population  of  six  million  eight  hun- 
dred  thousand. 

Egypt  has  always  been  an  agricultural  country,  owing  to  the 
splendid  crops  grown  in  the  fertile  belt  of  the  Nile,  where  irrigation 
prevails,  and  where  cheap  labour  makes  pos.sible  competition  with  other 


1/8 


/A'    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUX. 


countries.  The  chief  articles  of  export  art'  su<j,ar  and  cotton;  luit  the 
latter  at  present,  by  reason  of  the  late  enormous  crops  in  America, 
pays  but  small  profits. 

On  Thursday,  l-'ebruarv  -5th,  1  crossed  over  to  a  spot  directly  op- 
posite that  where  our  steamboat  lav.  After  climbing  a  steep,  sandy 
bill,   I  entered  the  opening  of  the  tombs  that  were  discovered  recently 


./    native  of  the   S<uidan. 

by  Sir  Francis  Grenfell  and  have  been  excavated  by  his  order.  The 
painted  figures  inside  are  almost  as  distinct  and  fresh  as  if  made  but 
yesterday.  I  then  went  to  the  island  of  Elephantine,  which  faces 
the  town  of  Assouan.  At  one  end  of  the  island  is  a  grove  of  palms, 
shading  several  pretty  houses,  which  were  covered  with  a  purple 
flowering  creeper.     At   the  other  end — the    island    being  nearly  a  mile 


I 

S 


tK, 


THE    TEMPLE  AT  EDFOU.  1 79 

in  length — is  a  v^ast  quantity  of  the  debris  of  half-demolished  tem- 
ples. These  are  of  Saracenic  origin,  but  no  attempt  has  been  made 
to  study  them.  Fragments  of  statues,  an  altar,  a  gateway — all  so 
ruined  as  to  give  little  hint  of  their  original  form  — alone  remain  of 
the  architecture  that  once  adorned  the  island.  There  were  formerly 
two  fine  temples  in  a  good  state  of  preservation  ;  but  seventy  years 
ago  they  were  demolished  because  the  Governor  of  Assouan  wanted 
the  stones  for  a  palace.  There  is  still  a  Roman  quay,  built  of  material 
taken  from  more  ancient  structures.  The  inhabitants  of  the  island 
are  mainly  Nubians. 

At  2  p.  M.  the  Amerartas  began  her  return  voyage  down  the  river, 
remaining  all  night  again  at  Daraou,  and  arriving  on  Friday  morning, 
February  26th,  bright  and  early,  at  Edfou,  where  I  took  a  donkey 
and  rode  about  half  a  mile  to  the  magnificent  temple,  the  most  per- 
fect in  all  Egypt.  A  few  years  ago  a  modern  village  completely 
covered  the  temple  itself  up  to  the  propylon,  and  rubbish  filled  the  in- 
terior; but  by  order  of  the  Khedive  an  entire  excavation  of  the  tem- 
ple has  been  accomplished,  under  the  direction  of  Mariette  Bey.  The 
temple  is  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long,  the  propylon  two  hundred 
and  fiftv  feet  broad,  and  the  towers  one  hundred  and  fifteen  feet  high, 
ascended  by  two  hundred  and  fifty  steps.  The  top  commands  a  splen- 
did view  of  the  valley  of  the  Nile,  which  at  this  point  is  broad  and 
well  irrigated. 

This  temple  was  begun  by  Ptolemy  IV,  Philopator,  and  continued 
by  the  succeeding  sovereigns  of  the  same  family.  It  was  dedicated 
to  the  worship  of  Hor-Hat  and  his  mother  Athor,  the  Egyptian 
Venus.  In  the  inscription,  Hor-Hat  is  called  "  Lord  of  the  Heaven 
above,  Son  of  Osiris,  King  of  all  Kings,  of  both  Lower  and  Upper 
Egypt,  and  Master  of  all  Gods  and  Goddesses."  The  completion  of 
the  temple  required  ninetv-five  years  of  actual  work,  which  extended 
over  a  period  of  one  hundred  and  seventy  years.  The  great  court, 
about  one  hundred  and  forty  bv  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  is  sur- 
rounded on  three  sides  by  thirty-two  dissimilar  columns.  The  pro- 
37 


l8o  /A'    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 

naos  contains  immense  pillars  covered  wiih  hieroglyphics,  while  in 
the  adytum  arc  twelve  very  peculiar  columns,  small  at  the  base  and 
hulffintr  in  the  middle.  There  are  numerous  other  smaller  chambers 
leading  up  to  the  naos  or  sanctuary,  in  which  the  sacred  hawk,  the 
emblem  of  Hor-Hat,  was  deposited — a  granite  monolith  made  by  Nec- 
tanebo  I  of  the  thirtieth  dynasty,  for  an  older  temple  built  pre- 
viously on  the  same  spot.  Mere  again,  to  some  extent,  the  fine 
figures  have  been  injured  by  over-zealous  Christians  of  early  times, 
who  erroneously  regarded  the   images  as   idols. 

I  had  taken  but  a  slight  repast  before  starting,  and  on  my  re- 
turn at  9  A.  M.  I  found  breakfest  waiting,  which  it  is  needless  to 
say  I  had  abundant  appetite  to  appreciate.  Our  steward,  a  fat  little 
Greek,  was  an  excellent  chef,  and,  the  disadvantages  under  which 
he  laboured  being  considered,  he  did  wonders,  and  was  entitled  to 
much  credit. 

While  we  lay  at  Edfou  a  group  of  Nubians  collected  on  the 
shore,  waiting  in  hopes  of  getting  some  backsheesh.  To  one  pretty 
girl  with  beautiful  white  teeth,  trim  figure,  and  laughing  black  eyes 
— in  fact,  a  perfect  Venus  noire — I  gave  a  large  slice  of  bread 
thickly  covered  with  orange  marmalade,  and  was  much  amused  to  see 
the  result.  The  entire  band  collected  round  her,  and  she  broke  up 
the  bread,  putting  a  little  marmalade  on  each  piece,  and  giving  every 
one  a  taste.  The  flavour  was  a  new  sensation  to  them,  and  they 
smacked  their  lips  ov^er  it   with   evident    delight. 

At  1.30  we  stopped  as  Esneh,  thirty-five  miles  from  Luxor,  a 
place  of  considerable  importance  for  those  parts,  having  a  population 
of  seven  thousand.  It  has  been  called  "the  most  picturesque  and 
amusing  city  of  the  upper  Nile."  A  walk  of  about  ten  minutes 
from  the  boat-landing  brought  us  to  the  portico  of  the  great  tem- 
ple, the  top  being  on  a  level  with  the  town.  Only  the  portico  has 
been  excavated,  the  work  having  been  done  in  1842,  by  order  of 
Mehemet  Ali.  It  is  supposed  that  the  remainder  of  the  temple  is 
under  the   neighbouring    houses  of    the    town.     The    portico    contains 


i!  iiiL 


^ 


■^ 


t^ 


.■■'^^ 


AT  L UXOR.  1 8 1 


twenty-four  columns,  each  nineteen  feet  in  circumference  and  sixty- 
five  feet  in  height,  the  capitals  being  beautifully  carved  in  designs  of 
the  palm,  papyrus,  and  grapevine.  The  sculpture  and  hieroglyphics, 
although  not  considered  so  fine  as  in  some  of  the  earlier  temples,  are 
certainly  very  effective.  If  the  remainder  of  the  building  when  un- 
covered should  prove  to  be  on  the  same  scale  as  the  portico,  it  is  grand 
indeed. 

At  6.30  r.  M.  we  moored  at  Luxor,  and  after  dinner  left  the  Ame- 
rartas  for  the  Luxor  Hotel — an  agreeable  change  after  a  v/eek  on  the 
steamboat.  This  hotel  is  in  a  large  garden  of  palms,  acacias,  and 
flower-beds.  Wandering  around  under  the  trees  was  an  enormous 
pelican,  quite  tame   and   inoffensive. 

On  Saturday,  February  27th,  I  committed  myself,  for  a  four  days' 
sojourn  at  Luxor,  to  the  charge  of  that  necessary  evil,  a  local  guide, 
one  Ahmed  Abdullah ;  and  with  iiim  I  set  out  and  crossed  the  Nile 
to  the  west  side,  where  I  found  donkeys  awaiting  us.  An  hour's  ride 
brought  us  to  the  Temple  of  Koorneh,  where  we  made  a  short 
halt.  This  temple,  dedicated  to  Amun,  and  built  by  Sethi  1  and 
Rameses  II,  was  probably  a  fine  work  originally,  but  it  is  now  much 
dilapidated.  We  left  soon,  and  then  after  a  tiresome  ride  of  more  than 
an  hour,  over  the  desert  and  through  the  dreary,  desolate  valley  of  Bab- 
el-Yolook,  we  arrived  at  the  Tomb  of  the  Kings.  Here  were  laid  to 
rest  the  monarchs  of  the  nineteenth  and  twentieth  dynasties,  and  in  an 
adjacent  valley  those  of  the  eighteenth.  These  tombs  are  cut  in  the 
solid  rock  on  the  side-hill,  and  consist  of  long  passages,  within  which 
are  occasionally  small  rooms  ;  and  at  the  extreme  end  of  a  passage  was 
once  placed  the  sarcophagus.  The  body,  carefully  embalmed,  and  invest- 
ed with  all  the  surroundings  of  the  exalted  rank  of  the  royal  mummy, 
was  with  the  sarcophagus  put  out  of  sight,  as  was  supposed,  forever, 
the  entrance  being  walled  up  and  covered  with  earth,  so  that  soon  all 
trace  of  the  existence  of  the  tomb  was  lost.  Indeed,  in  some  instances 
false  chambers  were  arranged  to  mislead  future  explorers,  while  the 
real    receptacle  was    carefully    concealed.      Twenty-five    tombs    in    this 


\S2  /A'    T///-:    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 

valK'v  have  been  opened  thus  far,  and  there  are  undoubtedly  in  the 
vicinitv  many  more  as  vet  unknown.  Those  considered  the  finest  are, 
the  tonil)  of  Sethi  I,  called  Bel/.oni's,  that  of  Rameses  III,  or  Hruce's 
Tomb,  and  that  of  Rameses   I\'. 

Tiie  sculpture,  painting,  and  hieroglyphics  are  wonderfully  distinct. 
I  had  taken  with  me  a  quantity  of  magnesium  wire,  and  by  burning 
it  in  the  dark  ])laces  got  an  excellent  view  not  otherwise  obtainable. 
Bclzoni's  Tomb  extends  into  the  rock  four  hundred  and  seventy  feet, 
it  being  the  largest  as  well  as  the  finest  yet  discovered.  1  returned 
by  a  different  route  from  the  one  by  which  I  came,  climbing  over  the 
Libyan  Mountain,  from  the  top  of  which  a  splendid  panorama  of  the 
surrounding  country  is  presented.  It  is  a  hot,  dusty,  fatiguing  walk, 
but  worth  the  trouble,  besides  being  the  shortest  road  to  the  Temple 
of  Dayr-el-Bahree,  where  I  stopped  for  a  few  moments,  and  then  fin- 
ished the  sight-seeing  for  the  day  at  the  Memnonium,  or  Ramaseum, 
which  is  a  grand  edifice  and  without  a  rival  of  its  kind  for  beautiful 
architecture.  In  this  temple  was  the  largest  statue  ever  carved  in 
Egypt  from  a  solid  block.  It  is  calculated  to  have  weighed  eight 
hundred  and  eighty-seven  tons.  By  some  means  not  now  known  this 
gigantic  figure  was  thrown  down  and  broken,  and  only  a  part  of  it 
remains. 

On  the  way  back  to  the  river  we  passed  the  two  colossi,  both 
representing  Amunoph.  These  were  originally  monoliths  sixty  feet 
high,  with  pedestals  ten  feet  high,  standing  on  the  plain. 

In  Egypt  the  continuous  sunshine  is  very  trying  to  one's  eyes, 
and  I  can  understand  henceforth  the  feelings  of  the  Englishman  who 
exclaimed,  as  he  came  up  the  Thames  from  Gravesend  in  a  London 
fog,  "  Thank  God,  I  am  now  in  a  country  where  the  sun  does  not 
always  shine !  "  For  my  own  part,  I  consider  the  climate  of  the  re- 
gion between  New  York  and  Newport  the  finest  in  the  world.  It  is 
neither  too  cold  nor  too  warm,  too  wet  nor  too  dry,  and  yet  there 
is  sufficient  variety. 

That  evening    I  was  invited   by  the  German  consular  agent  to  an 


The  Great   Temple  at  Karnak. 


OBELISKS.  183 


entertainment  at  his  house,  where  the  celebrated  dansc  dii  venire 
was  performed  admirably  before  an  audience  of  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
all  Germans  but  me.  The  dancers  were  five  Arab  girls,  the  music 
being  executed  by  several  native  men. 

Sunday,  February  28th,  in  the  salon  of  the  hotel,  we  had  morning 
service,  with  a  sermon,  conducted  by  the  English  chaplain,  assisted 
by  the  Lord  Bishop  of  Ontario.  In  the  afternoon  I  saw  Karnak,  that 
enormous  temple  built  during  the  nineteenth  and  twentieth  dynasties. 
They  must  have  been  a  stupendous  sight  in  the  days  of  Theban  pros- 
perity, those  avenues  of  sphinxes,  the  great  hall  supported  bv  hun- 
dreds of  solid  pillars,  the  magnificent  obelisks  and  statues,  the  beauti- 
ful sculpture,  the  curious  hieroglyphics,  the  massive  gateways,  and  the 
cartouches  of  the  various  kings. 

The  temple,  which  is  a  mile  from  Luxor,  is  about  a  mile  and 
three-quarters  in  circumference.  The  walls  were  eighty  feet  high  and 
twenty-five  feet  thick  at  the  base.  There  were  four  obelisks  origi- 
nally ;  now  only  two  remain,  one  of  which,  that  of  Queen  Hatasoo,  is 
the  largest  ever  made,  being  ninety-two  feet  high  and  eight  feet  square 
at  the  base.  It  was  originally  surmounted  by  a  small  pyramid  of  pure 
gold,  and  the  whole,  from  top  to  bottom,  was  gilded.  I  could  not 
help  thinking  what  a  marvellous  race  of  people  these  ancient  Egyp- 
tians were,  to  have  left  behind  them  such  lasting  monuments  of  their 
wealth  and  greatness.  We  of  this  generation  have  thus  far  produced 
nothing  that  will  endure  for  three  thousand  years. 

On  Monday,  February  29th,  I  again  crossed  the  river  and  this 
time  wended  my  way  to  the  splendid  remains  of  the  Temple  of  Me- 
deenet-Haboo.  It  is  really  two  temples,  that  of  Thothmes  III  and 
that  of  Rameses  III.  The  north  base  is  especially  rich  in  hieroglyph- 
ics, containing  ten  historical  representations  of  Egyprian  victories — 
one  of  them  the  only  known  Egyptian  picture  of  a  naval  fight.  In 
the  centre  of  the  great  court  of  the  temple  are  the  remains  of  the 
Coptic  cathedral,  which  fortunately  has  been  totally  demolished,  so 
one  can  discern  perfectly  the  majestic  proportions  of  the  great  edifice. 

38 


1 84  IN   THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 

Near  all  the  ruins  arc  numerous  venders  of  curiosities,  of  which  some 
are  real  and  some  spurious,  but  so  cleverly  made  that  they  defy  detec- 
tion even  by  an  expert. 

Tuesday,  March  ist,  I  spent  in  cxamininiif  the  Luxor  Temj)lc.  It 
is  quite  near  the  hotel,  and  I  had  therefore  left  it  for  the  last.  This 
buildinq;  was  constructed  under  the  eighteenth  dynasty,  during  the 
reign  of  Amunoph  III,  about  1600  b.  c.  The  colonnade  was  added  un- 
der Horis,  and  the  two  obelisks  and  the  huge  statues  and  the  pylon 
were  placed  there  by  Rameses  II.  Of  the  two  obelisks  that  formerly 
graced  this  temple,  one  is  now  erected  in  the  Place  de  la  Concorde, 
Paris,  the  other  being  left  in  solitary  grandeur  on  its  original  site. 

After  dinner  that  evening  I  finished  my  visit  to  Luxor,  and  slept 
on  board  the  steamboat  Nefert-Ari,  leaving  for  the  return  trip  at  day- 
light on  the  morning  of  Wednesday,  March  2d.  At  breakfast-time 
we  found  ourselves  at  Keneh,  and  soon  afterward  we  left  the  Nefert- 
Ari  in  a  rowboat,  crossed  the  river,  and  went  on  donkeys  to  the 
Temple  of  Denderah,  about  an  hour's  ride.  This  edifice  was  begun 
by  Ptolemy  XII  and  completed  by  Tiberius,  much  of  the  ornamenta- 
tion having  been  made  during  the  reign  of  Nero.  Its  age,  approxi- 
mately, is  eighteen  hundred  and  fiftv  years.  Mingled  with  its  Egyp- 
tian style  is  an  influence  of  Greek  and  Roman  architecture.  It  was 
dedicated  to  Athor.  It  was  one  of  the  best  preserved  of  all  the  tem- 
ples on  the  Nile,  and  to  me  the  most  satisfactor\',  with  perhaps  the 
exception  of  the  one  at  Edfou. 

At  11.30  we  resumed  our  trip  down  the  Nile.  I  witnessed  an 
interesting  sight  at  Dechna,  a  little  village  directly  on  the  bank,  where 
we  stopped  at  2  p.  m.  Several  thousand  men  and  women — the  latter 
standing  in  a  group  by  themselves — were  assembled,  and  as  the  steam- 
boat approached  they  set  up  a  dismal  howl,  which  they  sustained  until 
we  got  out  of  hearing.  It  transpired  that  on  our  boat  were  twenty- 
five  conscripts  for  the  army,  on  their  way  to  Cairo,  and  the  unhappy 
people  on  the  bank  were  the  friends  and  relatives  lamenting  their 
loss,  for   the  term  of  service  of  the  Egyptian  soldier  is  practically  for 


Obelisks,  Karnak. 


EG  YP  TIA.\  CO  NSC  RIP  TS. 


185 


life.  The  poor  conscripts  were  huddled  together,  squatting  on  the 
deck,  under  a  guard  of  armed  soldiers,  and  were  not  permitted  to  answer 
the  salutations  and  farewells. 

I  was  sorry  to  miss  seeing  the  Coptic  monastery  of  Sitteh  Ma- 
riam-el-Adra  (Lady  Mary  the  Virgin),  usually  known  as  the  Monas- 
tery of  the  Pulley.  This  is  below  Assiout,  where  I  left  the  steamboat, 
and  it  is  on  a  high  precipice.  The  monastery  is  walled  in  for  pro- 
tection, and  there  is  a  cleft  in  the  rocks  down  to  the  river.  Formerlv, 
as  dahabcahs  and  steamboats  were  seen  approaching,  the  pious  monks 
would  rush  down,  strip  off  their  clothes,  leap  into  the  river,  and  swim 
out  to  demand  backsheesh.  Of  late  years  this  proceeding  has  been 
stopped  by  order  of  their  patriarch,  who  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
it  was  not  perfectly  digniiied. 


Pharaoh's  bed,   Phihe. 


The    I'ia  Dolorosa,  Jerusalem. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


VISIT    TO    PALESTINE. 

HURSDAY,  March  3d,  at  3  p.  m.,  we  were 
once  more  at  Assiout.  This  city  is  the 
capital  of  Upper  Egypt.  It  has  a  popu- 
lation of  twenty -five  thousand,  and  en- 
joys a  considerable  trade  in  various  com- 
modities. The  mountains  back  of  the 
town  are  covered  with  ancient  tombs, 
where  lived  a  large  number  of  Christian 
anchorites  at  one  period,  and  some  noted 
saints  have  spent  their  lives  at  this  spot  in  continuous  fasting  and 
prayer. 

Curzon,  in  his  "\"isits  to  the  Monasteries  of  the  Levant,"  relates  an 
incident  of  St.  Macarius,  who  spent  sixty  years  as  a  hermit  in  various 
places  in  the  Eg\ptian  desert,  and  was  considered  a  model  recluse. 
"  Having  thoughtlessly  killed  a  gnat  which  was  biting  him,  lie  was  so 
unhappy  at  what  he  had  done  that,  to  make  amends  for  his  inadvertence, 


Colossal  statues  of  Mcmiio/i,    Thehes. 


EG  I  P  TIAN    THIK  VES. 


187 


and  to  increase  his  mortification,  he  retired  to  the  marshes  of  Scete, 
where  there  were  flies  whose  powerful  stings  were  sufficient  to  pierce 
the  hide  of  a  wild  boar ;  here  he  remained  six  months,  till  his  body  was 
so  much  disfigured  that  on  his  return  his  brethren  only  knew  him  l)y 
the  sound  of  his  voice."  These  anchorites  were  somewhat  like  the 
Hindu  fakirs  that  one  sees  at  the  present  day  in  the  holy  places  in 
India,  and  they  must  have  been,  as  the    fakirs    are,  disgusting  objects. 

At  9  V.  M.  I  left  Assiout  in  a  sleeping-car,  getting  back  to  Cairo  at 
8  A.  M.  the  next  morning,  and  I  felt  inclined  to  sing  that  old  negro 
melody,  "Ain't  I  glad  to  get  out  of  the  wilder- 
ness ! "  The  dust  and  flies,  together  with  the  in- 
cessant wrangling  of  the  donkey  -  boys,  porters, 
and  guides,  and  the  never-ceasing  demand  for 
backsheesh,  tire  one's  patience.  The  Arabs  are 
a  nation  of  thieves,  and  have  no  conscience  what- 
ever. I  caught  one  donkey  -  boy  with  his  hand 
in  my  coat  pocket,  in  which  T  had  a  few  piasters ; 
and  on  the  sleeping  -  car  a  German  gentleman 
found  that  his  valise  had  been  abstracted  and 
taken  to  the  toilet  -  room,  where  it  was  cut 
open  and  the  most  valuable  articles  carried 
awav,  the  remainder,  which  the  thief  could  not 
take,  beinaf  thrown  into  the  water-closet.  On 
the  train  was  a  detective,  a  dirty  Arab,  who  took  the  matter  very 
coollv,  displayed  no  interest  in  the  theft,  and  said  the  act  was  one 
that  occurred  there  frequently. 

Friday,  March  4th,  I    again    took    up  my    quarters    at    Shepheard's 

Hotel,  remaining  until  the  following  Wednesday.     Those  five  days  were 

spent    pleasantly    with    friends  whom   I    found    there,  among    them  my 

cousin.  Count  Gabriel  Diodati.     There  were  also  plenty  of  letters  to  read 

and  answer,  together  with  excursions  to  Sakkara  and   Memphis,  to  see 

the  statues  of  Rameses  H,  the  pyramids,  and  the  wonderful  subterranean 

tombs    of   the    sacred    bulls.      Then   there  were  driving,  donkey-riding, 
39 


An  Egyptian   7i>oman. 


1 88 


IN    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


visitiiifj;  the  bazaar,  etc.  The  terrace  at  Shcpheard's  Hotel,  of  an  after- 
noon when  the  band  of  an  Enij^lish  regiment  i)lays,  is  one  of  the  most 
amusino;  places  that  I  know  of.  Groups  of  guests,  mostly  English 
and  Americans,  sit  taking  their  tea,  while  in  the  street  below  are  pass- 
ing a  throng  of  picturesquely  dressed  people  of  all  nationalities  and 
creeds — Turks,  Arabs,  with  occasionally  a  green-turbaned  descendant  of 
the  Prophet,  Greek  priests  in  their  curious  black 
robes  and  queer-shaped  hats,  and  now  and  then  a 
carriage  graced  with  harem  ladies  whose  beauty 
is  rather  enhanced  by  the  thin  white  veils  that  are 
supposed  to  hide  their  features.  Before  their  car- 
riages are  usually  two  runners  with  long  sticks  to 
clear  the  way,  and  on  the  box  sits  a  tall,  coal- 
black  eunuch,  to  guard  them  from  all  harm.  Then 
pass  some  lobster-coated  English  foot  soldiers,  or 
two  or  three  officers  on  horseback,  with  their  lit- 
tle pillbox  hats  set  on  "three  hairs."  Perhaps  an 
Egyptian  regiment  with  music  then  goes  by,  or 
the  young  Khedive  on  his  way  to  the  palace.  It 
is  a  curious  and  interesting  sight,  this  mingling  of 
European  "  high-lifers  "  and  devout  adherents  of  the 
Koran. 

On  Wednesday,  March  gth,  at  9.30  a.  m.,  I  left 
Cairo  in  the  train,  arriving  at  Alexandria  at  i  r.  m. 
This  railway  is  fairly  well  built,  and  the  trains  run 
at  about  the  average  speed  of  a  local  American  line. 
We  passed  through  the  rich,  arable  land  of  the 
Delta,  where  enormous  crops  are  raised.  I  went  to  the  Khedevial 
Hotel,  where  I  had  breakfast,  after  which,  in  company  with  a  guide,  I 
drove  to  Pompey's  Pillar,  along  the  Mahmoudeah  Canal,  where  there 
are  many  fine  villas,  to  the  Catacombs,  to  the  palace,  and  to  the  so- 
called  tomb  of  Cleopatra. 

Modern    Alexandria     is    a    thoroughly    French    city.       The    streets 


Pompey's  Pillar 
Alexandria. 


•y>3^_.  iir- 


A  Mohammedan  slicik. 


VOYAGE    TO  JAFFA.  189 


which  are  wide,  are  paved  with  blocks  of  stone  two  or  three  feet  long, 
and  are  kept  clean  and  in  good  order.  In  the  evening  one  sees  many 
fine  turnouts,  all  in  European  style.  That  night,  with  a  friend  who  had 
been  my  fellow-passenger  across  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  under  the  guid- 
ance of  a  cicerone,  I  saw  some  of  the  famous  dancers  for  whom  Alex- 
andria is  noted.  Their  performance  is  similar  to  that  which  we  wit- 
nessed at   Lu.xor. 

By  ten  o'clock  of  Thursday,  March  loth,  I  found  myself  on  board 
the  ivhedevial  Line  steamer  Mahallah,  eight  hundred  tons,  and  soon  it 
was  Partant pour  la  Syric.  In  the  first  cabin  every  available  place  was 
taken,  mostly  by  Americans  bound  for  the  Holy  Land.  The  steerage 
was  filled  with  the  most  motley  assemblage  I  had  yet  encountered — 
Russian  Jews,  dancing  dervishes,  Copts,  Italians,  Greeks,  and  Moham- 
medans. Most  of  them  spent  much  of  their  time  in  praying,  especially 
the  Jews,  who  no  doubt  were  greatly  excited  at  approaching  the  land  of 
their  forefathers.  The  sea  at  first  was  rough,  and  almost  immediately 
after  leaving  the  breakwater  at  Alexandria  every  one  was  violently  sea- 
sick ;  but  in  a  short  time  we  ran  into  smooth  water,  and  the  passengers 
began  to  revive.     The  rest  of  the  voyage  was  delightful. 

On  Friday  the  sea  continued  quiet,  and  we  arrived  off  Jaffa  at  12.30, 
and  debarked  without  difficulty.  Although  the  sea  was  said  to  be 
unusually  smooth,  there  was  nevertheless  considerable  rolling,  and  several 
ladies  were  made  seasick  by  the  motion  of  the  small  boat.  We  were 
rowed  ashore  in  one  of  Thomas  Cook  and  Son's  boats,  for  here  as  well  as 
in  Egypt  they  have  all  control  of  the  ways,  and  one  must  travel  with 
their  tickets. 

After  landing  we  had  a  long  walk  to  take,  up  many  steps  and 
through  a  market-place  filled  with  a  noisy  crowd  of  natives.  Then 
we  were  conveyed  in  carriages  to  the  Hotel  Jerusalem,  kept  bv  a 
German,  who  provided  us  with  luncheon  ;  and  then  I  set  out  for 
Ramleh  by  carriage  and  three  horses,  with  a  Roman  Catholic  drago- 
man named  Tanoos.  We  went  for  some  distance  through  the  town 
of  Jaffa    or    Yafa,  the    Joppa    so  frequently  mentioned  in    floly   ^^'rit 


190  IN   THE   TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


Here  St.  Peter  the  apostle  raised  Dorcas  to  life,  and  beheld  the  vision 
showinsr  him  that  the  difference  betvv'^een  the  Hebrews  and  the  (ien- 
tiles  was  to  cease.  For  a  thousand  years  Jatla  has  been  the  landing- 
place  of  pilgrims  who  visit  the  sacred  shrines  of  Jerusalem.  The 
house  of  Simon  the  tanner  is  shown,  l)ut  of  course  is  of  doubtful 
authenticity.  There  are  several  monasteries  in  Jaffa,  and  also  Miss 
Arnott's  school,  which  is  doing  an  excellent  work  among  the  girls  of 
the  city.  Just  outside  the  gates  is  the  German  colony,  which  came 
in  and  took  possession  of  the  site  originally  occupied  by  an  unsuccess- 
ful American  colony. 

Leaving  Jaffa,  we  passed  through  many  orange  groves,  and  then 
entered  the  plains  of  Sharon,  which  were  green  and  fertile,  with 
many  wild  flowers  along  the  roadside.  Here  grew  the  rose  of  Sharon, 
which  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  species  of  mallow.  In  three  hours 
I  had  arrived  in  Ramleh,  and  after  securing  a  room  at  Reinhart's 
Hotel  I  mounted  the  stairs  of  the  Great  Tower,  near  the  hotel,  and 
had  a  splendid  view  of  the  country  for  many  miles  in  all  directions. 
I  was  surprised  and  delighted  with  the  beauty  and  apparent  fertility 
of  this  part  of  Palestine.  The  land  may  be  to  some  extent  worn 
out,  but  by  proper  cultivation  and  the  use  of  fertilizers  it  could  be 
made  very  productive. 

On  Saturday  I  was  impatient  to  continue  my  journey  ;  so  by 
eight  o'clock  I  got  away  from  Ramleh  and  proceeded  toward  Jerusa- 
lem. A  French  company  is  building  a  line  of  railway  here,  but  the 
work  is  going  on  slowly,  and  it  will  be  some  time  before  it  is  com- 
pleted. After  about  an  hour  we  reached  a  hill,  and  thence  spread 
out  before  us  lay  the  valley  of  Ajalon,  where  Joshua  defeated  the 
five  kings  of  the  Amorites,  and  where  he  commanded  the  sun  and 
the  moon  to  stand  still  until  he  had  completelv  destroyed  his  ene- 
mies:  "Sun,  stand  thou  still  upon  Gibeon — and  thou.  Moon,  in  the 
valley  of  Ajalon."  A  little  fi\rther  on  we  passed  the  village  of  La- 
trdn,  where,  according  to  tradition,  had  resided  the  two  thieves  who 
were  crucified  with  Christ.     The  country  now  became  very  sterile  and 


8 


IN  JERUSALEM. 


191 


rocky,  and  our  route  was  a  steep  ascent.  We  passed  Kolonieh,  and 
in  less  than  two  hours  more,  at  3  p.  m.,  we  were  within  the  walls  of 
the  sacred  city. 

I  went  to  the  Grand  New  Hotel,  where  I  was  fortunate  in  get- 
ting a  room,  it  being  crowded.  Afterward,  in  company  with  the 
dragoman  Tanoos,  I  went  to  the  Church  of  the   Holy  Sepulchre    and 


\ 

t 

,;- 

J 

^^ 

^^ 

M 

*,^ 

..Jx. 

1^^ 

■BR^i'm^IE 

m^^l 

HI 

m 

m 

■ 

The  Damasfiis  Gate,  Jerusalem. 


to  the  wailing-place  of  the  Jews.  The  scene  at  the  latter  spot  was 
curious.  The  women  were  crying,  and  kissing  the  stones  of  the  tem- 
ple, and  the  men  were  reading  the  Psalms  or  the  Talmud.  The  Jews 
who  live  in  Jerusalem  now  are  all  immigrants,  or  the  descendants  of 
immigrants  to  their  own  home,  from  other  countries,  mostly  Russians, 

Poles,  Germans,  Spaniards,  and   Portuguese. 

40 


19-  /.y    TllK    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


In  the  Cliurcli  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  the  scene  was  to  me  very  sad. 
I  saw  the  Stone  of  Unction,  the  Station  of  Mary,  the  Sepulchre,  the 
stone  which  the  angel  rolled  away  from  our  Lord's  grave,  the  Col- 
umn of  the  Scourging,  Calvary,  the  rent  in  the  rock,  and  the  other 
spots  considered  sacred  by  a  vast  number  of  ignorant  people.  How 
discouraging-  it  is  to  think  that  such  imposture  should  be  tolerated  in 
the  nineteenth  century !  Here  is  found  the  worst  form  of  idolatry 
and  imposition  ;  and  it  would  be  well  if  the  church  and  its  contents 
could  be  obliterated  by  an  earthquake,  and  a  new  and  clean  Christian- 
ity built  up,  worthy  of  our  meek  and  lowly  Saviour.  If  some  rich 
philanthropist  wishes  to  do  a  good  work,  he  should  establish  a  library 
and  reading-room,  and  plenty  of  hot-water  baths,  free  to  the  various 
orders  of  priests  and  monks  in  Jerusalem,  and  should  encourage  them 
to  clean  their  bodies  and  elevate  their  minds. 

The  disgraceful  fights  between  the  Greeks,  Latins,  Armenians,  and 
Copts  are  not  so  frequent  as  formerly,  for  the  influx  of  European  and 
American  visitors  is  without  doubt  something  of  a  restraint  on  them 
in  many  ways. 

On  Sunday  I  felt  in  duty  bound  to  attend  church  in  Jerusalem, 
and  therefore  went  to'  early  service  at  Christ's  English  Church.  It 
was  a  great  satisfaction  to  find  that  in  one  place  within  the  walls  of 
Mount  Zion  the  pure  gospel  of  Jesus  was  preached  without  any 
mummery,  in  a  neat  edifice,  simple  and  appropriate,  and  the  service 
rendered  in  a  decorous  manner. 

Afterward,  with  the  dragoman,  I  went  over  the  Via  Dolorosa,  stop- 
ping at  the  stations  of  the  Cross ;  to  the  Convent  of  the  French 
Sisters  of  Zion  ;  St.  Stephen's  Gate  ;  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane  ;  the 
valley  of  Jehoshaphat ;  the  Pool  of  Bethesda,  which  is  now  dry ; 
the  tomb  of  the  Virgin ;  St.  Veronica's  House  ;  the  Church  of  St. 
Anne  ;  and  the  Hospital  of  the  Knights  of  St.  John,  otherwise  the 
Knights  of  Malta.  I  then  made  a  longer  and  more  thorough  visit  to 
the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  and  came  away  with  the  same 
feeling   as    before,  of  sadness    and    humiliation.     When  one  visits    the 


The  stoitf  of  unctioji.    Jerusali-m. 


THE  HOLY  PLACES.  193 


temples  of  the  heathen  one  has  a  contempt  for  the  humbug  with 
which  those  poor  people  are  duped ;  but  to  find  this  foolish  super- 
stition at  the  fountain-head  of  our  own  true  religion  makes  one  feel 
heartsick  and  despondent. 

The  Holy  Sepulchre  is  in  a  small  chapel  in  the  centre  of  the  ro- 
tunda of  the  church,  and  is  built  of  marble.  It  is  divided  into  two 
apartments.  In  the  first  is  the  stone  that  the  angel  rolled  away  from 
the  tomb,  and  in  the  second  is  a  marble  slab  said  to  cover  the  sepulchre 
of  our  Lord.  This  stone  is  cracked  in  the  middle,  and  worn  smooth 
by  the  kisses  of  many  thousands  of  pilgrims.  At  one  end  of  the 
apartment  is  a  hole,  from  which  on  Easter  Sunday  the  Greek  l^itri- 
arch  hands  out  the  fire  which  he  pretends  has  come  down  from 
heaven  to  light  the  candles  on  the  altar.  What  a  terrible  account 
these  patriarchs  will  have  to  settle  with  their  Maker  in  the  day  of 
judgment  for  this  imposition ! 

After  luncheon  I  again  set  out  with  Tanoos  and  made  a  circuit 
of  one  part  of  the  town.  I  had  from  the  American  consulate  a 
kawass  armed  with  a  formidable  scimitar,  and  also  a  soldier  from  the 
garrison.  These  are  requisites  to  an  entrance  to  the  Mohammedan 
holy  places.  We  went  to  the  Mosque  of  Omar,  which  is  on  the  site 
of  Solomon's  Temple  upon  the  summit  of  Mount  Moriah.  A  slab 
in  the  middle  of  the  floor  covers  the  Well  of  Departed  Spirits,  through 
which,  according  to  Mohammedan  tradition,  all  souls  descend,  and 
whence  they  will  be  brought  up  at  the  judgment  day.  There  were 
manv  other  remarkable  sights,  the  most  curious  being  the  stone  with 
three  and  a  half  nails  sticking  in  it.  There  were  nineteen,  but  Satan 
has  knocked  the  others  into  the  stone.  When  the  remaining  ones 
disappear  the  world  will  come  to  an  end.  Near  bv  are  the  Mosque 
el-Aksa,  inside  of  which  is  the  beautiful  pulpit  of  carved  wood,  the 
stone  with  the  footprint  of  Christ,  and  the  Well  of  the  Leaf,  which 
is  one  of  the  gates  of  paradise. 

I  descended  an  adjoining  flight  of  steps  to  the  Cradle  of  Christ, 
in  which  the  infant  Jesus  is  said  to  have  been  circumcised,  and  below 


'94 


IN    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


wliicli   arc    the  wonderful  undergrouiid    Stal)les  of   Solomon,   the   lader 
a  remarkably  interesting  s|iot. 

Tlic  interior  of  the  Mosque  of  Omar  is  very  handsome,  the  dome 
being  especially  l.ieautiful.  The  traditions  that  centre  upon  this  spot  are 
wonderfullv  numerous.  Here  Oman  had  iiis  thrashing  -  lloor ;  here 
Abraham  huiil  the  altar  on  whieli  he  was  about  to  sacrifice  his  son 
Isaac  ;    and  here  stood  Solomon's  Temple.      The  mosque  is  octagonal, 


IfilflilBilll 


^ 


Mosque  of  Omar,  and   Trihunal  of  Dai'id 


each  side  being  sixty-eight  feet  long,  and  is  covered  with  coloured 
tiles.  The  date  of  its  erection  is  uncertain,  but  there  is  little  doubt 
that  it  is  at  least  a  thousand  years  old.  The  interior  is  divided  by 
concentric  circles  of  pillars  and  piers,  the  innermost  of  which  support 
the  great  wooden  dome,  which  is  ninety-eight  feet  high  and  sixty-six 
feet  in  diameter.  The  inner  walls,  like  the  outer,  are  covered  with 
tiles  and   inscribed  with  passages  from  the  Koran.     The  Sacred  Rock, 


!>. 


> 


'^ 


"^ 


JOURNEY   TO  JERICHO.  1 95 


under  the  dome,  is  a  mass  of  rough  stone  that  rises  three  or  four  feet 
above  the  marble  floor,  and  is  about  sixty  feet  long.  Under  it  is  a 
cave.  All  manner  of  traditions  attach  to  this  rock.  The  chief  Mussul- 
man story  is,  that  when  Mohammed  ascended  to  heaven  from  this  place 
the  rock  wanted  to  follo\v%  and  actually  rose  six  or  seven  feet  (hence  the 
cave) ;  but  the  angel  Gabriel  stopped  it  at  that  point,  and  the  prints  of 
his  fingers  are  still  visible  on  the  stone.  Here  the  rock  remained  sus- 
pended. Your  inquiry  why  there  are  side  walls  to  the  cave,  apparently 
supporting  the  rock,  is  answered  by  the  information  that  they  are  not 
necessary,  but  were  merely  built  for  the  assurance  and  comfort  of  tour- 
ists, who  were  afraid  to  enter  the  cave  when  there  was  no  visible  support 
for  its  ponderous  roof  Fergusson,  the  antiquary,  believes  that  this  is 
the  tomb  wherein  the  body  of  Christ  was  laid  after  the  crucifixion. 

I  had  a  fine  view  of  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat ;  the  tombs  of 
Absalom,  Jacob,  and  Zachariah  ;  the  field  that  was  bought  with  the 
thirty  pieces  of  silver  Judas  received  for  betraying  our  Lord;  the  tree 
on  which  he  hanged  himself;  the  leper  hospital;  the  tomb  of  David; 
and  the  Coenaculum,  or  Chamber  of  the  Last  Supper. 

Again  I  went  to  the  Jews'  wailing-place,  and  before  returning  to 
the  hotel  saw  the  Armenian  monastery,  and  the  tomb  of  St.  James  on 
the  spot  where  he  was  beheaded. 

I  spent  a  most  interesting  day,  for,  while  the  ground  is  heaped  with 
what  is  spurious  and  fraudulent,  vet  the  various  landmarks  are  well 
authenticated. 

It  was  a  cool,  clear  morning  on  Monday,  March  14th,  when  with 
Tanoos  I  set  off  on  horseback  for  Jericho.  We  passed  out  of  the  Jaffa 
gate  and  made  the  tour  of  the  city  walls,  taking  then  the  road  between 
the  Garden  of  Gethsemane  and  the  Virgin's  tomb  into  the  valley  of 
Jehoshaphat,  and  thence  up  the  Mount  of  Olives.  The  view  of  Jerusa- 
lem, surrounded  by  its  high,  castellated,  mediaeval  wall,  from  this  point  is 
very  picturesque  and  beautiful. 

Soon  after  this,  at  Bethany,  with  his  gun  slung  over  his  shoulder, 
came  up  the  representative  of  the  sheik  who  was  sent  to  guard  us,  for 


1 96 


IN   THE    TRACK  OF   THE  SUN. 


even  now  it  is  dangerous  to  go  to  Jericho  uni)roteeted,  as  one  may  still 
"fall  among  thieves." 

After  four   liours'  progress  we  stopped  at  a  khan,  or  stone  inclosure 
for  till'  protection  of  travellers,  where  we  rested  and  had  luncheon.     This 


Tomb  of  the    Virgin,  and  Grotto  0/  tin-   i\is^/i'n. 

is  said  to  l)c  the  spot  of  the  parable  of  the  good  Samaritan  who  he- 
friended  the  man  "going  down  from  Jerusalem  to  Jericho."  A  carriage 
road,  expected  to  reach  completion  in  a  year,  was  in  process  of  con- 
struction. The  road  lay  through  a  rugged,  mountainous  country  of  hut 
little  vegetation,  and  the  temperature  became  perceptibly  higher  as  we 
neared  our  destination.  On  the  descent  of  the  iiill  into  the  valley  a 
grand  scene  was  spread  out  before  us.  On  one  side  was  the  mountain 
where  our  I^ord  was  tempted  of  the  devil,  and  in  front  the  river  Jordan 
and  the  Dead  Sea,  while  away  in  the  distance  stood  Mounts  Pisgah, 
Nebo,  and   Hermon. 


AT   THE  DEAD   SEA.  1 97 


The  Jericho  of  Joshua's  triumph  is  not  the  same  as  the  modern 
village  of  the  same  name.  Some  round  mounds  are  all  that  is  left  of 
the  ancient  city,  Bible  scholars  know  well  the  story  of  Jericho's  siege 
and  capture,  of  the  spies  that  were  entertained  by  Rahab  the  harlot,  of 
the  children  of  Israel  marching  round  the  city,  and  of  the  blasts  of  the 
trumpet  each  day,  until,  on  the  seventh,  the  walls  fell  down  and  God's 
chosen  people  rushed  in  and  destroyed  their  enemies. 

It  w^as  from  Jericho  that  the  prophet  Elijah  went  forth  with  Elisha 
and  witnessed  the  translation  of  the  latter  in  a  chariot  of  fire,  carried  by 
a  whirlwind  up  to  heaven. 

I  arrived  at  the  Jordan  Hotel  at  Jericho  at  4  i'.  m.,  and  the  proprietor 
at  once  brought  me  a  cup  of  refreshing  tea.  I  was  well  content  to  rest 
for  the  remainder  of  the  day,  preparatory  to  a  hard  day's  work  on  the 
morrow.  At  dinner  I  had  an  interesting  talk,  through  an  interpreter, 
with  the  Turkish  military  commander  at  Jerusalem,  who  had  come  up 
to  inquire  into  the  plague  of  locusts  which  was  devastating  this  part 
of  Palestine.  He  told  me  that  he  was  one  of  forty-eight  children,  and 
that  his  father  was  a  man  of  great  importance  in  Turkistan. 

On  Tuesday  we  were  off  for  the  Dead  Sea  by  7  a.  m.,  and  reached 
its  shore  in  two  hours.  Our  way  lay  through  an  arid  plain,  hot  and 
dusty,  with  here  and  there  a  little  vegetation.  I  was  surprised  to  find 
that  the  water  of  the  Dead  Sea  was  clear  and  sparkling,  and  that  it 
washed  a  gravelly  shore.  The  scenery  is  desolate  and  weird.  On 
either  side  the  mountains  rise  abruptly,  barren  and  harsh,  without  trees 
or  grass. 

The  Dead  Sea  is  forty-six  miles  long,  and  nine  and  a  half  miles  wide 
in  the  widest  place.  This  is  the  measurement  made  by  Lieutenant 
Lynch,  in  the  month  of  April.  The  lake  varies  somewhat  with  the 
rainfall  of  different  seasons.  Into  the  Dead  Sea  flows  the  river  Jor- 
dan, this  fresh  though  muddy  stream  being  lost  in  the  bitter  salt  waters. 
Numerous  events  of  biblical  record  happened  on  these  Dead  Sea 
shores.  It  was  here  that  Lot's  wife,  for  looking  back  in  disobedience  to 
the  command  of  the  Lord,  was  turned  into  a  pillar  of  salt. 


198  AV    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


T  undressed  and  went  into  the  water  for  a  batli,  and  found  it  very 
pleasant,  as  I  did  not  mind  the  stinjring  sensation  to  tlie  sivin.  In  my 
attempts  to  swim,  my  feet  went  into  the  air,  the  water  being  so  buoy- 
ant, and  it  was  difficult  to  make  any  lieadway.  The  bath  there  I  found 
much  more  agreeai)]c  than  in  the  Jordan,  where  there  is  a  strong  cur- 
rent of  dirty  water,  and  a  muddv  and  sticky  bank,  which  makes  it  not 
only  very  disagTeeal)le  but  also  somewhat  dangerous  to  bathe  there. 
Wiu-ii  we  were  leaving  the  Dead  Sea  I  was  much  interested  by  the  jx'r- 
formance  of  two  Bedouin  sheiks.  They  had  a  sham  battle  with  their 
drawn  scimitars,  circling  round  each  other  on  horseback,  until  one 
gave  his  antagonist  the  cotip  de  grdce  by  pretending  to  cut  his  head 
off  while  both  were  at  full  gallop. 

In  an  hour  I  arrived  on  the  banks  of  the  Jordan,  and  I  must  con- 
fess that  I  was  much  disappointed.  The  river  is  one  hundred  and 
twenty  miles  long,  measured  by  a  straight  line  from  its  source,  through 
the  Sea  of  Galilee  to  the  Dead  Sea  ;  but  it  is  in  reality  much  longer 
on  account  of  its  vermicular  windings.  It  is  from  five  to  twelve  feet 
deep,  and  from  eighty  to  one  hundred  and  seventy  feet  wide.  It  was 
in  the  valley  of  the  Jordan  that  John  the  Baptist  preached  the  coming 
of  the  Messiah,  and  in  the  sacred  waters  of  this  river  our  Lord  was 
baptized.  At  certain  feasts  of  the  Church  thousands  come  from  all 
quarters  of  the  globe  to  wash  away  their  sins  in  this  stream  sanctified 
by  their  Saviour.     I   saw  many  when  I   myself  bathed  there. 

We  had  our  luncheon  at  the  Pilgrim  Bathing  Place,  where  it  is 
supposed  that  John  the  Baptist  baptized  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
''  And  lo,  the  heavens  were  opened  unto  him,  and  he  saw  the  Spirit 
of  God  descending  like  a  dove,  and  lighting  upon  him  :  and  lo  a 
voice  from  heaven,  saying,  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am 
well  pleased"  (Matt,  iii,  13-17).  If  this  is  not  the  exact  spot,  it  is 
without  doubt  very  close  to  it.  Near  it  also  is  the  place  where  the 
children  of  Israel  crossed  the  Jordan  dry  shod  and  entered  the  prom- 
ised land. 

Tanoos,  the  dragoman,  in  telling  me  of  the  vast  numbers  of  pilgrims 


s 

■I 

I 


B.4  THI.XG  I.X    THE  JORDA.W 


199 


who  come  here  at  certain  seasons  to  bathe  toy;ether,  said  that  he  liad 
seen  as  many  as  five  thousand  on  the  banks  of  the  river  at  one  time. 
We  met  several  small  parties  of  these  i^ilgrims,  poor  fanatics,  some 
in  waf^gons,  some  on  donkeys,  and  others  walking,  dusty  and  footsore, 
with  their  palmers'  staves  in  their  hands.     Most  of  them  looked  as  if 


Do  lilt    ,'j 


it  were  many  weeks  since  their  bodies  had  been  refreshed  by  bathing — 
an  abstinence  that  should  have  made  them  appreciate  the  cooling  waters 
of  the  Jordan,  even   if  it  was  vellow  with   mud. 

Returning  again  over  the  dry  valley  at  half  past  two,  I  reached  the 
hotel,  where  our  landlord,  having  been  on  the  lookout  for  our  approach, 
had  ready  for  me  one  of  the  excellent  cups  of  tea  for  which  he  is  famous. 
The  remainder  of  the  day  I  spent  quietly,  with  the  exception  of  a  walk  to 
the  site  of  old  Jericho,  the  city  of  Joshua's  time.     Rising  directly  over 


200  /A'    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


this  place  is  tlie  Ouarantania,  or  Temptation  Mountain  of  the  text: 
"And  the  (k'vil,  taking  him  up  into  a  high  mountain,  showed  unto  hint 
all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world  in  a  moment  of  time."  On  this  side  of 
the  mountain  are  numerous  caves  in  the  rock,  some  of  which  are  still 
inhahited  by  Greek  monks. 

On  Wednesday,  while  the  moon  was  still  shining,  I  began  the  return 
trip  from  Jericho,  reaching  the  Apostle's  Well  at  i  i  a.  m.,  where  we  had 
luncheon.  While  we  were  there  the  Governor  of  Jerusalem  passed  by 
with  a  guard  of  soldiers.  He  is  said  to  be  unfriendly  to  Christians,  but 
he  bowed  most  politely  to  me.  We  went  over  the  Mount  of  Olives;  to 
the  traditional  house  of  Mary  and  Martha  ;  to  the  tomb  of  Lazarus  ;  to 
Paternoster  Chapel  ;  and  to  the  spot  shown  as  the  place  of  the  ascen- 
sion of  our  Lord.  The  declivity  of  the  Mount  of  Olives  is  steep  and 
precipitous  to  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane.  Here  I  dismounted  and  went 
in.  The  garden  is  in  charge  of  the  Latin  monks,  who  raise  flowers 
which  they  present  to  visitors — expecting  a  few  francs,  however,  as  back- 
sheesh. The  olive  trees  are  said  to  be  the  same  that  were  there  during 
the  lifetime  of  our  Lord,  and  they  certainly  look  very  old.  Afterward  I 
crossed  over  the  road  to  the  tombs  of  the  Blessed  \^irgin,  St.  Anne,  St. 
Joachim,  and  St.  Joseph,  and  then  rode  into  Jerusalem.  Around  Geth- 
semane was  a  crowd  of  loathsome  lepers  crying  for  alms,  which  was 
exceedingly  disagreeable. 

That  afternoon  I  revisited  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre, 
and  attended  service  at  the  Armenian  Convent,  where  the  patriarch 
preached.  The  Armenians  follow  the  Mohammedan  fashion  of  leav- 
ing their  shoes  outside  their  place  of  worship  and  wearing  their  Fez 
caps  or  their  turbans  within  it.  The  church  is  dedicated  to  St.  James, 
and  marks  the  spot  where  he  was  buried.  One  of  the  monks,  high 
in  authority,  politely  showed  me  his  own  room,  where  he  had  a  library 
of  the  early  fathers  and  manv  bottles  of  fine  wine. 

I  then  obtained  from  the  head  of  the  Franciscan  Monastery 
(Roman  Catholic)  a  certificate,  written  in  Latin,  to  the  effect  that  I 
had  visited    all  the    holy  places,  and  was    entitled   to    all  the  dispensa- 


k 


AT  BETHLEHEM. 


20I 


tions    and    privileges    accruing    tlierefrom,  which    are    said  to    be  very 
important. 

On  Tiiursday,  in  a  carriage  with  three  horses,  I  set  out  at  6  a.  m. 
for  Bethlehem,  about  one  hour's  drive  from  the  Jaffa  gate.  The 
road  thither  is  good,  well  constructed  through  a  rocky  country.  The 
crops  raised  are  principally  olives,  figs,  and  grapes.  E)i  rotite  we 
passed  quite  close  to  the  tree  where  Judas  hanged  himself  after 
bestowing  the  fatal  kiss  on  his  Master,  and  to  the  tomb  of  Rachel. 


Church  of  the  Aativitv.  at  Bethlehtm. 


Bethlehem  is  inhabited  by  native  Christians,  whose  blood  is  said 
to  have  a  large  mixture  of  that  of  the  Crusaders.  Our  way  lav 
through  a  street  that  was  only  wide  enough  for  one  carriage  to 
pass  at  a  time,  to  the  Church  of  the  Nativity,  where  I  alighted. 
The  entrance  is  very   small,  and  one  can  not  pass   through  it  upright. 


202  /X    THE    TRACK  OF    TJfF.   SUN. 


Many  persons  who  have  examined  into  the  subject  think  there  is 
a  strong'  piolialjility  that  this  place  is  tlie  real  site  of  the  birth  of 
Christ.  1 1  was  jrenerallv  considered  to  l)e  so  tlurinj^  the  time  of 
Justin  Martyr,  about  one  hundred  years  after  the  event  took  ]ilace, 
and  St.  Jerome,  one  of  the  greatest  of  the  early  fathers,  was  a  lirm 
believer  in  its  authenticity,  and  sjjcnt  thirty  years  in  a  cell  adjoining 
the  spot,  studying,  praying,   and  fasting. 

A  silver  star  with  a  hole  in  the  centre,  so  that  pious  pilgrims 
may  kiss  the  rock,  indicates  the  ])lace  where  our  Lord  was  born. 
Abov^e  this  arc  sixteen  lamps,  which  are  always  kept  burning.  There 
are  several  other  altars  in  the  church,  marking  the  place  of  the 
wooden  manger  (now  in  Rome);  the  altar  of  the  Magi;  and  the 
Chapel  of  St.  Joseph,  on  the  spot  whither  the  husband  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  retired  while  the  accouchement  took  place,  and  where  an 
angel  appeared  to  him  commanding  the  flight  into  Egypt.  Finally, 
there  are  the  altar  over  the  tomb  of  the  twenty  thousand  victims  of 
Kinsr  Herod's  cruel  massacre  of  the  innocents,  and  the  tomb  of 
Eusebius. 

Adjoining  the  Church  of  the  Nativity  are  the  Latin  Church  of  St. 
Catherine  and  the  Franciscan  and  the  Armenian  monasteries ;  and  at 
a  short  distance  south  is  the  Milk  Grotto.  The  tradition  concerning 
this  is,  that  a  drop  of  the  Virgin's  milk  fell  on  the  rock,  turning 
the  whole  (jf  it  white  ;  and  that  a  visit  there  will  increase  in  a  miracu- 
lous manner  the  flow  of  milk  in  women  who  have  but  a  scanty 
supply.  Those  who  can  not  go  to  the  grotto  may  derive  the  same 
benefit  bv  eating  the  little  cakes,  containing  some  of  the  powdered 
rock,  which   are  sold  there   by   an   old  woman. 

Outside  the  town  of  Bethlehem,  perhaps  a  walk  of  half  an  hour, 
is  the  Shepherds'  Field,  where  the  shepherds  were  watching  their 
flocks  by  night  when  the  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  to  them,  as  the 
text  reads  :  "  And  there  were  in  the  same  country  shepherds  abiding 
in  the  field,  keeping  watch  over  their  flock  by  night.  And,  lo,  the 
angel  of  the   Lord  came  upon  them,  and  the  glory  of  the   Lord  shone 


^ 


&0 


B 
-5 


COXTENTIOiYS  OF  PRIESTS  AND  ATONKS. 


203 


round  about  them ;  and  they  were  sore  afraid.  And  the  angel  said 
unto  them,  Fear  not :  for,  behold,  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great 
joy,  which  shall  be  to  all  people.  For  unto  you  is  born  this  day  in 
the  city  of  David  a  Saviour,  which  is  Christ  the  Lord.  And  this  shall 
be  a  sign  unto  you :  Ve  shall  find  the  babe  wrapped  in  swaddling 
clothes,  lying  in    a  manger.     And   suddenly  there  was  with   the  angel 


if; 

'   J  ■  '  ;• 

KlHi 

■  •^ll^  :-'■     \  1 

'( 

t 

'  li' 

T    1 

■<^ 

^1 

%^kM 

'1 

mfi\  !  'TiWf*^  j2Vb  ^  .  - ,-  ji" .     i--    "  If 

'f 

i 

i 

II^Hi  ■nnn H 

* 

-  i 

-^SfflU'-i 

«ff<m^'i\'    ""'r-^  ''T'!|^^~lr^lfflHi  ^^^1 

:'            V 

^^■Lr,^^.-  '  ')mA 

I'^'im                                                                 'fli'^n  ^^^^^H 

'W^K^-'^ 

,  -■sj.,.- 

* 

|.« 

'^i^m»-'m^s.<^»^-»~i- 

f      ■■•■ 

• 

'».:';;               r'-^ 

r 

1 

1 

" 

V, 

^AlMl&dm  ^ 

i4 

1 

J,    ^ 

9 
•* 

wmJ^YJ^mi^ 

^1 

'mf^^   ..3 

'      HIP 

» 

■";'=- 

iiaff--            ^ggj^ 

- 

Grotto  of  the  A'ativity,  at  Bethlehem. 


a  multitude  of  the  heavenly  host  praising  God,  and  saying,  Glory 
to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good  will  toward  men." 
In   this  field    is  a  cave,  which    is    fitted    up    as    a    Greek  chapel. 

One  thing  that  strikes  travellers  as  odd  is  the  guard  of  Turkish 
soldiers  in  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  and  the  Church  of  the 
Nativity.     This  is  a  necessary  precaution,  however,  for  the  priests  and 

monks    of  different  denominations  frequently  come    into  collision,  and 

43 


204 


/.\-    rUF.    TRACK  OF    THE  SUX. 


were  it  not  for  the  presence  of  the  guard  afTrays  would  undoubtedly 
occur  oftcncr.  Ten  months  before  my  visit,  four  persons  were  killed 
in  the  Church  of  the  Nativity  in  a  fight  between  Greeks  and  Latins. 
By  eleven  o'clock  1  was  in  Jerusalem  again,  and  after  looking  at  the 
Jewish  synagogues  and  the  tombs  of  the  kings,  I  drove  back  to  Jaffii. 
On  Friday,  as  I  was  not  to  sail  until  afternoon,  1  iiad  a  good 
opportunity  to  rest,  of  which    I    look  advantage.      During  the  morning    I 

wandered  about  the  town,  and  visited  the  house 
of  Simon  the  tanner,  from  the  flat  roof  of  wliich 
a  fine  view  of  the   Mediterranean  is  to  be  had. 

It  was  somewhere  near  Jaffa  that  Jonah  was 
cast  into  the  sea  and  swallowed  by  the  great 
fish,  in  whose  belly  he  remained  three  days. 
Here  also  was  laid  the  scene  of  the  mythologi- 
cal story  of  Andromeda  chained  to  a  rock  by 
the  monster  whom  Perseus  slew.  I  was  inter- 
ested to  see  on  the  shore  many  scallop-shells, 
for  from  them  the  Crusaders  adopted  that  em- 
blem for  their  coat  of  arms,  the  device  being 
borne  to  the  present  day  liy  the  descendants  of 
the  mediaeval  knights. 
The  present  ruler  of  Turkey,  Abdul-Hamid  II,  is  without  doubt 
the  ablest  Padishah  that  has  reigned  in  the  Ottoman  Empire  for  many 
years;  he  is  the  ruler  in  fact  as  well  as  in  name,  and  understands 
thoroughly  every  detail  of  the  government  of  his  country.  The  Sultan 
is  extremely  simi)le  in  his  habits  and  manners,  and  despatches  the  busi- 
ness of  the  realm  with  great  rapidity,  but  never  before  every  particular 
has  been  thought  over  and  is  well  understood  by  him.  He  always 
rises  early,  and  he  devotes  almost  the  whole  day  to  his  duties  as  a 
sovereign,  the  monotony  being  broken  perhaps  by  an  audience  to  some 
foreign  ambassador  or  distinguished  stranger.  In  a  remarkable  degree 
he  possesses  the  love  of  all  around  him,  but  every  one  feels  instinc- 
tively his  wonderful  ability  and    his  penetrating  mind.     The    Sultan  is 


Tuykish   woman  ui   i^ala  cos^ 
tume. 


K 


^ 

^ 


< 
^ 


CHARACTER   OF   THE  SULTAN. 


205 


a  man  of  serious  disposition,  caring  nothing  for  frivolity  or  ])leasure, 
and  it  would  be  an  unfortunate  day  for  Moslem  and  Christian  alike 
if  any  harm  should  befiill  Abdul -Hamid.  Toward  Americans  and 
their  country  his  course  has  been  one  of  consistent  friendship  and 
kindness,  and  every  returning  minister  of  the  United  States  has  gone 
home  enthusiastic  over  the  cordiality  and  good  will  of  the  Sultan. 

In  mechanical  and  scientific  appliances  and  discoveries  he  has 
always  evinced  the  greatest  curiosity,  and  from  its  inception  he  has 
taken  a  deep  interest  in  the  World's  Fair  at  Chicago.  A  few  remark- 
able facts  in  connection  with  the  present  reign  may  be  summarized,  as 
follows :  Turkish  finances  have  vastly  improved,  and  no  foreign  loan 
has  been  contracted  for  the  past  sixteen  years.  Not  only  have  roads 
been  opened,  but  various  railways  have  been  built,  which  needs  must 
improve  the  condition  of  commerce.  Schools  have  increased  consider- 
ably in  number,  and  public  instruction  has  never  been  so  general  as 
under  the  present  ruler  of  Turkey.  The  army  is  in  better  condi- 
tion than  ever  before.  The  world  knows  what  a  Turkish  soldier  is, 
but,  notwithstanding  his  efficiency,  the  Sultan  is  pacifically  inclined, 
believing  that  progress  and  happiness  for  the  people  can  only  be  ac- 
quired  through    peace.     He  is  certainly  a  great  sovereign. 


The  tomb  of  Adsalom, 


■w 


Paul's  wall,   Damascus. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 


HOME    THROUGH    EUROPE. 

|T  six  p.  M.  I  was  conveyed  on  board  the 
Khcdivial  Line  steamer  Rahnianieh,  wiiicli, 
akhoucrh  small,  was  a  comfortable  and  good 
boat,  much  sujjciior  to  the  Mahallah.  The 
sea  was  calm,  and  the  transfer  of  the  pas- 
sengers was  accomplished  without  difficulty. 
The  boatmen  of  Thomas  Cook  and  Son 
are  wonderfully  skilful  in  boat  management, 
conveying  the  passengers  to  and  from  the 
vessel  in  a  remarkable  way.  We  soon  set  sail,  and  had  a  pleasant 
voyage. 

Our  ship  reached  Beyrout  on  Saturday,  at  9  a.  m.,  in  a  heavy 
shower,  but  before  we  landed  it  had  ceased.  The  harbour  is  very 
beautiful.  Rising  in  the  distance  are  the  Lebanon  mountains,  the  tops 
of  which  were  then  covered  with  snow.  Beyrout  is  a  modern  town 
in  appearance,  and  much  superior  to  the  ordinary  Turkish  cities. 
This    fact  is    the    result  of  the    American  mission  schools,  which  have 


Interior  of  a    Jewish  house  at  Damascus. 


JOURyKV    TO   BAALBEK. 


207 


done  an  excellent  work  for  many  years  in  educating  and  civilizing  the 
people.  At  present  the  English,  French,  and  other  European  nations 
have  also  educational  establishments  there. 

About  half  past  ten  I  set  out  in  a  carriage  for  Baalbek,  accom- 
panied by  a  dragoman  named  Sabir,  a  Maronite  Christian.  Crossing 
the  mountains,  we  encountered  a  snow  flurry,  and  the  snow  lay  in 
drifts  on  the  mountain-side.  1  felt  the  cold  very  much,  not  having 
prepared   for  it.      We  had  dinner  at  Chtaura,  and  afterward  continued 


Boat  and  oarsuwii  at  JaJ/a. 

our  journey,  arriving  at  Baalbek  at  1 1  v.  m.  The  wine  at  Chtaura  is 
of  excellent  repute  ;  some  prefer  it  to  that  produced  in  the  Medoc 
districts.  The  scenery  along  our  route  was  grand,  and  the  road  was 
fine — as  good  as  any  in  Europe.  The  landlord  of  the  hotel  at  Baal- 
bek was  expecting  me,  and  had  a  comfortable  room  ready. 

On  Sunday,  March   20th,  I  got  up  early,  and  by   half  past  six  was 
out    looking    at   the   wonderful   ruins  of  liaalbek.      The   temples    here 

date  from  a   very   early    time.      "  Baal "    was  the  name    given    bv    the 
44 


2o8 


JX    THE   TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


Phoenicians  and  Canaanitcs  to  the  sun,  their  chief  deity.  The  Greeks 
called  the  place  llcliupolis,  but  devoted  the  temjtle  to  the  worship 
of  Jupiter.  The  remains  show  that  before  its  ruin  this  pile  must  have 
been  indescribably  masinificcnt.  The  wonder  is,  how  its  huge  stones 
were  ever  placed   in  their  proper  position.     The  carving  of  the    Corin- 


View  of  Beyroiit. 

thian  columns  is  exquisitely  done,  and  the  architecture  throughout  is 
very  beautiful.  In  the  western  wall  are  three  stones  which  are  per- 
haps the  biggest  ever  set  in  any  building.  The  enormous  blocks 
measure  over  sixty-three  feet  in  length,  thirteen  feet  in  height,  and 
thirteen  feet   in  thickness.     The  ruins  themselves   are  sublime. 

At  eight  o'clock   I  returned  to  Chtaura,  arriving  there  at  twelve,  and 
had  luncheon.      On    the  way  we    passed    the  so-called  tomb    of  Noah. 


MoluiinmediiKs  at  prayer  fn  ilic  Great  Mosque  at  Damaseits. 


DAMASCUS. 


209 


Mamnite  piicst  ef  Mniiiit  Lcbanoit. 


Soon  after   i    p.  m.  I    set   out    again 

for  Damascus.  Much  of  the  scen- 
ery   was    fine,    especially    the    stony 

mountain   pass   called    the  Wadv-el- 

Karn,   which    in    former   years    was 

infested  with   robbers,  and    it    is    an 

ideal    place    for    them.      iVfter    this, 

Sabir,  the  dragoman,  pointed  out  to 

me  the  white  dome  of   the    musque 

in    the    tlistance    which    marks    the 

spot  where  Cain    killed    his  brother 

Abel,  and  also  the  tomb  of  the  lat- 
ter;   but    it    is    of    rather    doubtful 

authenticity,   one   would   say.     Soon 

after  this  we  entered  Damascus,  and 

I    was    much    struck  with    the    fine  gardens  and  villas  along  the  road, 

which  are  kept  green  and   beautiful  by  means  of  irrigation.     Damascus 

is  believed  to  be  one  of  the  oldest  existing 
cities.  It  has  outlived  Tyre  and  Sidon,  Pal- 
myra, Baalbek,  Nineveh,  Babylon,  Thebes, 
and  Memphis,  and  is  a  flourishing  city  to-day. 
We  drove  to  the  Victoria  Hotel,  where 
the  landlord  receiv^ed  me  with  great  polite- 
ness and  pro\'ided  me  with  a  pleasant  room. 
Monday  I  spent  in  viewing  the  objects 
of  interest  in  Damascus:  the  Great  Mosque, 
a  fine  building,  which  was  formerly  a  Chris- 
tian church,  and  is  said  to  contain  the  head 
of  John  the  Baptist  ;  the  Minaret  of  Jesus, 
named  from  the  legend  that  this  is  tf.e  spot 
where  our  Saviour  will  alight  when  he  comes 
to  judge  the  world  ;  the  citadel ;  "  the  street 
A  girl  of  Xazareth.  Called     Straight,"    which    runs     through    the 


210 


/.V    THE    IRACK  OF    IHI:   SCX. 


Christian     quarter,    where    so    many    innocent    people    were    ruthlessly 
massacred  in    i860  by  the  fanatical   Moslems;    the  Jews' (|uart(T,  where 


]iitciior  of  the  house  of  Chiimakayoih,   Damascus. 

I  viewed  the  interior  of  the  house  of  Stromboli  and  other  rich  He- 
brews; the  tomb  of  Saladin  ;  the  Gate  of  Bab-Kisan,  where  tradition 
says  St.  Paul  was  let  down  in  a  basket  ;  the  tomb  of  St.  Geors^e ;  the 
Moslem  cemetery,  where  two  of  Mohammed's  wives  and  his  daughter 
P'atima  are  buried;  the  houses  of  Ananias  and  Naaman  the  leper;  and 
the  wonderful  bazaars.  These  bazaars  are  much  more  remarkalile 
than  those  of  Constantinople  or  Cairo,  caravans  coming  hither  from 
Bagdad,  Teheran,  and  Mecca,  bringing  all  kinds  of  rich  merchandise, 
just  as  they  did  a  thousand  years  ago. 

Overlooking  the  city  is  Mount  llermon,  and  countless  canals,  drawn 


THE  MOUXTAINS  OF  LEBANON. 


21  I 


from  the  Barada,  furnish  numerous  fountains  for  the  use  of  the  inhab- 
itants. By  the  Arabs  Damascus  is  considered  the  earthly  paradise,  and 
they  call  one  of  the  city  spates  God's  Gate.  To  them,  coming:  from 
the  hot  and  dusty  desert,  it  seems  too  beautiful  for  this  world,  with 
its  clear  streams  and  brilliant  verdure.  To  a  European  or  American, 
of  course,  it  is  hardly  an  ideal  paradise,  but  it  is  nevertheless  a  lovely 
spot. 

Tuesday  morning  I  spent  in  the  bazaars,  leaving  at  twelve  and  driv- 
ing as  far  as  Chtaura,  where  I   slept. 

It  was  hardly  daylight  the  next  morning  when  I  drove  awav  from 
Chtaura.     The  sun  was  bright,  but  the  air  cool  and  sharp.     Almost  im- 


Toii'cy  at  Damascus  from    icJiun   .\l.   I'tuil  lims  h't  dozun  in  a  basket. 


mediately  we  began  the  ascent  of  the  mountains,  the  highest  point  on 
the  road  being  over  five  thousand  feet  in  altitude.      For  more  than  two 


/.\-    rilE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


hours  we  travelled  through  fresh  snow  two  feet  deep,  which  had  fallen 
the  day  previous.  It  was  hard  work  for  our  three  horses  (which  were 
fre(]uentlv  changed,  both  going  and  ct)niing  over  the  Damascus  road), 


Sfiitue  of  Mehnitt  Alt,  Ahxaiuiria. 


but  we  got  through  without  any  mishap,  arriving  at  the  hotel  at  Bey- 
rout  at  12.30  p.  M.  At  4.30  I  was  taken  on  board  the  Khedivnal  Line 
steamer  Rahmanieh,  the  same  that  had  brought  me  up  from  Jaffa,  and 


45 


.•5 


0, 


V. 


'O 


VOYAGE    TO   PORT  SAIL). 


soon  afterward  we  sailed  for  Jaffa,  Port  Said,  and  Alexandria,  the  sea 
being  as  smooth  as  a  lake  and  the  weather  delightful. 

Our  vessel  spent  Wednesday  off  Jaffa,  where  a  number  of  pilgrims 
landed  and  a  considerable  amount  of  cargo  was  shipped.  We  left  that 
place  in  the  evening,  arriving  at  Port  Said  about  8  a.  m.,  and  remained  in 
the  entrance  to  the  Suez  Canal  several  hours,  which  gave  me  an  oppor- 


Arch  of  Constantine,  Rome 


tunity  of  going  ashore  and  taking  a  walk.  Port  Said  is  a  busy  place. 
Nearly  all  the  steamers  passing  through  the  canal  stop  there  to  coal, 
and  the  passengers  have  a  chance  to  buy  photographs,  books,  news- 
papers, etc. 

Until  Tuesday  afternoon,  March  29th,  I  remained  quietly  in  Alex- 
andria, and  I  then  sailed  in  the  I^cninsular  and  Oriental  steamer 
Hydaspes,  2,996  tons,  Captain   E.  H.  Gordon.     The  course  was  smooth 


214 


LV    THE    TRACK  OF    THE   SUX. 


and  pleasant,  which  was  fortunate,  as  the  vessel  was  crowded,  every 
available  place  being  taken  by  the  returning  tide  of  pleasure-seekers 
from   Egvpt.      On    Friday  morning,  at  half  j)ast  nine,  we  were  abreast 


Pope  Leo  XIII  borne  in  the  Ledia   Gestatot'ia 

of  Mount  Etna,  of  which  we  had  an  excellent  view,  and  soon  after- 
ward we  entered  the  strait  of  Messina,  which  is  quite  narrow — three 
or  four  miles  from  side  to  side — so  that  we  could  see  distinctly  houses 


THROUGH   THE  MEDITERRANEAN. 


21  i 


and  other  objects  on  both  shores.  Bej'ond  the  city  of  Messina  we 
passed  the  famous  whirlpool  Chary bdis  and  the  rock  of  Scylla.  A 
Dutch  cargo  steamer,  heavily  loaded,  which  was  proceeding  ahead  of 
us,  was  completely  turned  around  by  the  current,  and  was  with  diffi- 
culty prevented  from  going  ashore. 

At  five  o'clock  we  were  opposite  the  volcano  of  Stromboli,  which 
is    a    small    island    at    a  considerable    distance  from    the  mainland,  and 


Restaurant  at  Nic 


at  daylight  the  next  morning  (Saturday,  April  2d)  we  were  safely 
moored  in  the  beautiful  Iiay  of  Naples.  I  was  now  again  on  familiar 
ground,  having  made  repeated  visits  to  sunny  Italy  ;  but  it  is  always 
delightful  to  revisit  foreign  spots  where  one  knows  his  way  ai)Out. 

After  passing  my  luggage  through  the  customs,  which  was  a  scene 
of  strenuous  confusion  and  noise,  and  having  been  the  victim  of  numer- 


•i6 


IK    THE    TRACK  OF   THE  SUN. 


ous  petty  annoyances  and  extortions,  I  secured  a  delightful  room  at 
tlie  "  West  End,"  in  a  healthful  location  with  southerly  exposure,  taking 
in    the  full  view,  over  the  bay,  of  X'esuvius,    Sorrento,  and  Capri.      1 


Casifio  terraci,   Moutc   Ca/Zu. 


had  now  completed  the  tour  of  the  world,  and  the  hard  work  of  sight- 
seeing for  me  was  over,  for  after  this  I  merely  revisited  such  places 
as  I   felt  would  be  amusing. 


^5 


-  /• 


iff 


m^msM.^ 


^^^^^^ 


The  hridi^r  of  fcua  and  the    7'rocadJro. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 


FAMILIAR    PLACES    REVISITED. 


URING  the  four  days  of  my  sojourn  I  visited 
the  ruins  of  Pompeii  and  Ilerculaneum  ;  the 
splendid  Museum  ;  the  Aquarium,  which  con- 
tains undoubtedly  the  finest  collection  of  ma- 
rine animals,  fishes,  and  plants  in  the  world  ; 
went  over  to  Sorrento  and  Capri,  seeinfj  to 
good  advantage  the  Blue  Grotto,  and  ascend- 
ed Mount  Vesuvius. 

A  visit  to  Pompeii  produces  a  feeling  dif- 
ferent from  that  which  is  experienced  at  any 
other  of  the  famous  places  in  my  route.  Vou  know  that  all  here  is 
ancient;  that  the  city  was  overwhelmed  by  a  tremendous  shower  of 
ashes  from  \"esuvius  more  than  eighteen  hundred  years  ago,  when 
men  were  living  who  might  have  witnessed  the  Crucifixion.  You 
recall  the  great  events  of  the  early  centuries  of  our  era — the  fall 
of  the  Roman  Empire,  the  irruption  of  the  barbarians,  the  career  of 
Charlemagne ;  then  the  long  night  of  the  dark  ages ;  the  slow  rise  of 
the    Russian    Empire ;    the    Norman    conquest    of   England  ;    tiien    the 


2l8 


/.\-    11  IE    IKACK  or    THE  SUN. 


revival  of  Icaniiiiu,  ami  the  discovery  of  the  New  Worhi,  and  the  won- 
derful story  of  its  settlement — and  then  try  to  realize  that  this  piece 
of  still  life,  which  looks  like  a  ruin  of  yesterday,  has  quietly  slept 
tlnoutrli  it  all,  waiting  for  the  spade  of  the  nineteenth  century  simply 
to  remove  the  ashes  and  uncover  its  beauties.  If  it  looked  old  and 
moss-grown  and  mouldy,  you  could  comprehend  its  great  age.  But  the 
wheel-marks  on  the  paving-stones  look  like  those  in  Broadway,  and 
the  colours  on  the  walls  are  as  fresh  as  in  the  lobby  of  a  modern  hotel ; 
and  the  little  wine-shops,  though  silent  and  odourless,  look  very  much 
like   tiiose   in    the  older    Italian   cities  to-day.     You  visit  the  house  of 


View  of  tlu  Eonini,  Kome 


Pansa,  and  you  see  the  pretty  court-yard,  with  its  little  basin  in  the 
centre,  and  its  bit  of  statuary,  and  its  leaden  pipes  that  brought  water 
to  the  fountain  (suggestive,  where  they  are  laid  bare,  of  modern  plumb- 


House  of  Paiisa,  Pompeii. 


IN  POMPEII. 


;i9 


ers'  bills),  and    you    almost    expect    to   see    the   children    in    their  play 
dart  out  from  some  shadowy  angle  of  the  wall. 

Only  a  jjortion  of  the  city  has  yet    been   restored   to   the   sunlight. 
But  a  few  additional   rooms  are  opened  each   year    by  removal  of  the 


Senate  charniwr  in  the  Inxeiiit'Oiiix  Palaee,   Par's. 


ashes,  swept  clean,  carefully  examined,  and  the  walls  washed.  In  time 
the  whole  pretty  town  will  stand  forth  again  in  the  bright  sunlight — 
unless.  Look  up  at  Vesuvius !  At  any  moment  he  may  repeat  his 
performance  of  a.  d.  79,  and  in  a  single  night  replace  all  the  ashes  and 
cinders  that  have  been  slowly  carried  out  by  the  barrow-load  since  the 
excavation  was  begun  in  the  middle  of  the  last  century. 

On  April  6th  I  went  by  rail  to  I^ome,  and  had  good  accommodations 
at  the  Hotel  Ouirinale.  The  weather  there  was  delightful,  and  I  can- 
not express  how  much  I  enjoyed  the  driving  each  day  on  the  Pincian 


220 


/\    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


Hill,  and  in  the  grounds  of  the  \'illa  Horghesc,  where  the  flower 
of  the  Roman  nobility  are  to  be  seen  in  the  afternoon  in  their  splendid 
and  well-appointed  turnouts. 

The  i\inu  and  Queen  of  Italy,  both  of  whom  1  afterward  met,  de- 
serve tiieir  ^reat  popularity,  for  two  more  gracious  sovereigns  it  would 
be  difficult  to  iiiul.     The  Queen   is  the   perfection  of  loveliness,  graceful- 


The  Casino,   I'/c/iv. 


ness,  affability,  and  kindness.  She  returns  the  salutation  of  the  poorest 
workman  with  the  same  sweet  smile  and  cordial  manner  with  which  she 
acknowledges  that  of  the  richest  and  grandest  noble  ;  and  King  Hum- 
bert's kindly  sovereignship  can  hardly  be  too  highly  praised. 

I  spent  some  time  in  looking  through  the  galleries  at  the  Vatican, 
the  Capitol,  and  the   Borghese  Villa;  and  of  course  went  to  St.  Peter's, 


47 


IN  ROME. 


221 


St.  Paul's  outside  the  Walls,  St.  Maria  Maggiore,  the  Church  of  St.  John 
Lateral!,  the  Forum,  the  Coliseum,  and  other  places  of  interest. 

St.  Peter's  is  always  enjoyable,  whether  one  sympathizes  with  the 
religion  of  which  it  is  the  seat  or  not.  As  you  pull  aside  the  great 
leather  mattress  that  serves  for  a  noiseless  door,  and  stand  within,  you 
feel  as  if  you  had  entered  another  world — a  world  in  which  the  past 
and  the  future  are  but  one  continuous  existence,  and  the  present  a 
narrow  and  almost  insignificant  border-land  between.  All  that  one  has 
ever  read    of  it    seems    to    come    back    like    a    dream,     ^'ou    think    of 


~,  <• 
'J 

View  on  the  A>'no,  Florence. 


Macaulay's  famous  characterization  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  in 
which  for  half  a  century  Protestant  writers  have  striven  to  find  the 
logical  flaw ;  and  vou  think  of  Hawthorne's  simple  but  effective  de- 
scriptions in  "  The  Marble  Faun."  Then  you  wonder  which  of  the  little 
confessionals  it  was  that  Miriam  visited;  and  a  thousand  other  fan- 
cies and  memories,  from  the  most  childish  to  the  most  philosophical, 
run  through  your  mind  as  you   stroll  along   in   the  mighty  nave. 

ITnlike  St.  Peter's,  the  Coliseum  speaks  only  of  the  past  —  a 
past  that  was  grand  in  its  art  and  its  power,  but  essentiallv  barbaric  in 
its  humanitv.     The  fact  that  the  Coliseum  covers  nearlv  the  same  ex- 


/\    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUX. 


tent  of  ground  as  the  Great  Pyramid  naturally  suggests  comparisons. 
The  two  are  typical  of  the  peoples  that  built  them.  The  Pyramid  is 
but  a  solid  mass   of  stone,  with  a  small  chamber   for  a  few  mummies. 


Place  de  la  Concorde,  Paris. 


The  Coliseum  was  built  to  hold  eighty  thousand  living  persons  and 
amuse  them.  The  great  sepulchre  by  the  Nile  has  stood  practically 
unharmed  for  four  thousand  years,  and  may  stand  for  fourteen  thousand 
more ;  the  great  circus  by  the  Tiber  is  but  two  thousand  years  old  and 
is  a  ruin.  The  tomb-builder  appears  to  be  everywhere  the  strongest  of 
architects. 

On  April  loth  I  left  for  Florence,  where  I  remained  but  two  days. 
I  had  a  good  opportunity  of  seeing  the  Florentine  aristocracy  each  after- 
noon in  the  Cascine,  that  beautiful  park  on  the  banks  of  the  Arno,  and 


IN  FLORENCE. 


at  the  Piazzale  Michelangelo.  I  visited  the  Uffizi  Gallery,  the  Pitti 
Palace,  the  Duomo  and  Baptistery — with  its  "  Gates  of  Paradise  " — and 
the  Church  of  Santa  Croce. 

If  Rome  is  the  capital  of  the  Christian  Church,  Florence  is  the  cen- 
tre of  Christian  art.  Nowhere  else  in  the  world  is  there  such  a  con- 
centration of  masterpieces,  though  Paris,  Munich,  Rome,  and  other 
capitals  have  their  priceless  art  treasures.  Florence  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  cities  of  this  peninsula,  lying  in  the  valley  of  the  Arno,  with 
the  Apennines  around  it ;  and  six  centuries  ago  it  was  the  richest  city 
of  Europe. 

From   Florence,  I  went  to  the  picturesque  little  city  of  Lucca.     The 


■ 


Wfk 


^^m 


mk 


statu/  of  Louis  XIV,  Place  Bel/ecotir,  Lyons. 


drive  anjund  its  ramparts  is  very  beautiful  and  interesting.  In  this 
town  is  the  Cathedral  of  St.  Martino,  where  the  cross  of  Nicodemus, 
which   is  said  to  have  been  transferred   in  a  miraculous    manner  from 


224 


/X    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


Jerusalem,  is  preserved;  the  Church  of  St.  Frediano  and  St.  Giovanni, 
the  latter  containino:-  the  superb  tomb  of  Nicolo  Diodati ;  and  the 
I'aia/zo  Orsetti,  the  old  home  of  the  Diodati  family,  whose  arms  still 
remain,  carved  in  stone,  over  the  two  principal  entrances. 

Lucca  was  especially  interesting  to  me,  as  it  was  here  that  my  ances- 
tors, tlie  n()l)le  Hnc  of  the  Diodati,  originated  in  1300,  and  achieved  great 


The   Casino  at  Monte   Carlo. 


honour  and  power  in  the  following  centuries.  Their  title  has  been 
confirmed  in  France,  Austria,  and  Italy,  and  inheres  to  all  descendants, 
both  in  the  male  and  the  female  line.  The  family  is  extinct  in  Italy, 
but  still  flourishes,  as  counts  and  countesses  of  the  Holy  Roman  Em- 
pire, in  Geneva  in  the  male  line,  and  in  America  in  the  female  line. 
Proceeding  to  Pisa,  I   saw  the  Leaning  Tower,  the  Duomo,  the  Bap- 


^ 
■^ 


PISA   AXD   GENOA. 


tistery,  and  the  Campo  Santo  ;  and  thence  went  to  Genoa  and  saw  the 
monument  to  Christopher  Columl)us  and  the  wonderful  Campo  Santo. 

The  Campanile  of  Pisa  is  not  the  only  leaning  tower  in  the  world 
—there  are  two  at  Bologna— but  it  is  the  most  wonderful  and  inter- 
esting. It  is  a  hundred  and  eighty  feet 
high,  and  leans  thirteen  feet  out  of  the 
perpendicular.  It  is  a  doubtful  ques- 
tion whether  the  builder  intended  that 
it  should  lean,  or  whether  the  founda- 
tion settled  unevenly,  and  he  accepted 
the  fiict  and  accommodated  the  super- 
structure to  it  instead  of  beginning  anew. 
Certainly  it  has  proved  a  greater  attrac- 
tion for  the  city  than  if  it  stood  upright. 
It  is  a  beautiful  piece  of  architecture, 
and  looks  remarkably  fresh,  considering 
that  it  is  six  centuries  old.  This  is  due 
to  the  fact  that  it  is  carefully  kept  in 
repair.  Occasionally  the  visitor  to  Pisa 
will  see  a  derrick  at  the  top  of  this  tower 
and  one  or  two  new  pillars  being  drawn  up  to  replace  those  that  have 
yielded  to  time  and  weather. 

Leaving  Genoa  early  in  the  morning,  I  took,  along  the  Mediter- 
ranean, the  train  running  parallel  to  the  Corneci  Road,  stopping  at 
Monte  Carlo,  Nice,  and  Cannes ;  and,  after  a  week  spent  on  the 
lovely  Riviera,  I  proceeded  to  Hy^res,  Toulon,  Marseilles  (where  the 
cold  and  disagreeable  mistral  was  blowing),  and  to  Lyons  and  \"ichy; 
then  to  Paris  for  a  week,  where  the  weather  was  warm  and  pleasant 
and  everything  gay  and  attractive.  M}^  time  was  agreeably  spent  in 
coaching  to  St.  Germain  and  Versailles,  driving  in  the  Bois  de 
Boulogne,  dining  at  Armenonville,  Ledoyen's,  Bignon's,  and  Voisin's, 
and  taking  a  cup  of  delicious  tea  every  afternoon  at  Columbia's  in 
the    Rue    Cambon.     I   was    sorrv  to  leave  beautiful    Paris,    but    1    had 


One  of  t/ie  Vichv  sptini^s. 


226 


/A'    THE    TRACK  OF    THE  SUN. 


to  hurry  on  to  London,  arrivinof  just  at  the  bcp^inning  of  the  season 
tlicrc.  I  remained  in  London  Icn  days,  and  was  busy  shopping,  but 
managed  to  find  time  to  go  coaching  to  Tunbridge  Wells,  Brighton, 
and  St.  Albans,  and  to  have  a  few  rides  in   Rotten  Row. 

Leaving  London  on  May  loth,  1  went  direct  to  Liverpool, 
via  the  London  and  Northwestern,  the  finest  railway  in  the  world, 
spent  the  night  in  Liverpool,  and  sailed  on  Wednesday,  May  i  ilh, 
at  4  v.  M.,  by  that  magnificent  "  ocean  greyhound,"  the  Majestic, 
ten  thousand  tons,  Captain  H.  Parsell,  R.  N.  R.  After  a  fairly  good 
voyage  I  arrived  in  New  York  on  Wednesday  afternoon.  May  icSth, 
having  been  absent  seven  months  and  four  days. 

Is  it  needful  to  say  how  glad  I  was  to  be  back  again  under 
the  Stars  and  Stripes.? — for,  after  all,  "there  is  no  place  like  home." 


X. 


RARE  BOOK 
COLLECTION 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT 

CHAPEL  HILL 

Travel 

G440 

.T47 


i 


